


Between Three Rogues

by Ericobard



Category: Eternal Arcadia | Skies of Arcadia
Genre: A World Under The Banner of Freedom against Oppression, Blue Rogues Live By A Code, Everybody on the Crew Matters, F/F, F/M, Gen, Love Is Boundless, Multi, Not a Novelization But it Feels Like One, Speed Readers' Mileage May Vary, We Don't Need Labels, it takes three
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 02:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 207,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17909870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ericobard/pseuds/Ericobard
Summary: There were Valuans, there were Black Pirates, and there were Blue Rogues, and that was enough for Vyse and Aika to wrap their heads around. Then a girl crashed into their lives, and the world became a whole lot bigger. And somewhere during a globe-spanning epic adventure that changed everything, a man, his best friend, and the girl that went sailing off the map with them figured themselves out. Because Blue Rogues always played by their own rules.





	1. She's Not That Pretty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two young Blue Rogues find a girl that fell out of the sky, and Aika gets jealous...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

 

By Eric “Erico” Lawson

 

**Chapter One: She’s Not That Pretty**

* * *

 

 

There are constants in the world of Arcadia. Constants such as, never sail into a storm or else you might find the Arcwhale Rhaknam. Constants like, the Valuan Empire was made up of a bunch of asshats who believed they could take whatever they wanted. Constants such as the six Moons of Arcadia, who occasionally gouged out Moonstones that rained down onto the floating islands, or dove down through the clouds into the Lower and Deep Skies.

Aika, a young but aspiring Blue Rogue, had another constant she lived by. She could always count on Vyse, son of Dyne, to be there for her. He’d been there seven years ago on a burning Valuan ship to save her from a dagger thrown at her heart. That act of self-sacrifice had given Vyse his now characteristic scar and cemented her bond with the young man as being something more than simple friendship.

 

Not that she had ever admitted it to him. She still had her standards, and swooning over Vyse? _Please._

“Aika, behind you!” Vyse shouted out. He was stuck in a duel with another Valuan trooper, and he still managed to stay aware enough of his surroundings to call out a warning. The pig-tailed redhead whirled about and brought her boomerang up just in time to block a downwards slash from another Valuan who had thought to sneak in an attack while she was distracted.

“Nice try.” Aika smirked, and snapped her foot up and out, gouging the miserable Valuan in the soft spot of his gut that his armor didn’t cover completely. The fellow let out an _urp_ and stumbled backwards, hunched over with his knife dropped on the deck without a care. Aika let out a yell and snapped her boomerang up into the side of his helmet, blunt side leading, and bashed him to the side where he lay in a crumpled heap. “Thanks for the heads up, Vyse!”

Vyses’ own foe was dispatched far more quickly, as the Blue Rogue’s dual cutlass dueling style allowed him to deflect, disarm, and then gut-slash his own foe in record time. Aika didn’t spare a moments’ worth of squeamishness. The Valuans did far worse.

“Come on.” Vyse said, slashing his blade in a wide arc away from Aika to clear the edge of blood. When he grinned at her, it sent a surge of electricity through her body she refused to give a name to. “We’ve still got an admiral to take down.”

 

***

 

Aika stared down at the strange girl in the silver headdress and gown, and wondered just who the blonde was. Where she’d come from. Vyse was in the room also, but his mind was elsewhere.

“That Admiral was a right jackass.” Vyse growled, using a word that he would have never dared to utter in his father’s company, much less his mother’s. Aika looked up at him storming around by the door in a tight circle, wondering whether or not to call him on it. It wasn’t like he was wrong. Alfonso, as the cowardly fop had identified himself, had hurled his own vice captain off the end of the ship to his death just so he’d have a scapegoat to blame on his own incompetence.

Really, though. Where the hell had the Valuan ship’s sentries been? Any half-competent crew could have seen the Blue Rogues coming, even with Captain Dyne’s penchant for drifting behind the clouds to hide their approach from far off. Had they been that distracted? No, it had to be Alfonso.

“I’m pretty sure that it’ll be a while before you see him in command of another ship.” Aika said, trying to calm him down. “If all the Valuans were as incompetent as _he_ was, we wouldn’t have to work as hard at keeping ahead of them.”

Vyse finally stopped pacing, breathed out hard, and let his usual smirk return as he looked over at her. “Yeah. And the Nasrians would have kicked their asses two decades ago.”

Aika waggled her eyebrows and stifled a giggle. Her best friend in the world rolled his shoulders and walked over, standing opposite of her at the girl’s bedside. His impish grin faded a little as he looked down at her, and tenderness filled his eyes.

It made Aika’s stomach lurch a little, watching him watch her. “I wonder who she is.” Vyse mused, and his hand went to trace an edge of the veiled headdress she wore. “I’ve never seen clothes like hers before.”

“Yeah?” Aika said, muting herself after she heard the bite in the word. If Vyse noticed, he didn’t seem to care. “I mean, she’s probably Nasrian.”

“Oh? You’ve seen Nasrian women before?”

“Geez, Vyse, she’s a _girl_ .” Aika ground out, reaching across the bed and punching him in the shoulder. _Hard_. He stumbled back and rubbed at what would likely be a light bruise. “But I thought I’d heard one of the traders mention something about how the women of Nasrad liked to go around in veils one of the times they stopped in to port.”

“Okay, okay. It’s just, you’re always telling these crazy stories about the other lands in Mid-Ocean, you know?” Vyse protested. “Hard to tell what you’re making up and what’s real.”

“Hey!” Aika fumed to hide her blush of embarrassment. “I can’t help what I hear. It’s not like I’ve ever been there myself.”

“Yeah.” And then Vyse got that determined look on his face, and Aika bit her lip. Of course she’d triggered _that_ particular driving force of his...the desire to see everything. “But some day, I will. Some day, I’ll sail out and go everywhere.”

Aika sighed and reached over, this time nudging him in the other shoulder gently with just a few fingers. “And you know I’ll be right there with you, don’t you?”

Vyse smiled and nodded. “Uh-huh. Of course you will. Why would I go anywhere without my best friend?”

Aika smiled back. “Yeah. Blue Rogues and best friends forever, right?”

“Right!”

 

And then the blond girl lying in the bed between them groaned and started to wake up.

 

***

 

Her name was Fina...and that was about all that anybody could get out of her. She flatly refused on telling anyone about where she came from, or why the Valuans were so interested in her. Even her gratitude at being rescued by Captain Dyne and his crew (And Aika and Vyse especially) didn’t provide any leverage in that regard. Still, she was a nice enough girl and they made a habit of being welcoming to strangers on Pirate Isle. Especially strangers who had a beef with the tyrannical Valuan Empire.

What Aika didn’t get was why Vyse’s mother was _doting_ on the girl. Inviting her to dinner? Sure. It was a great place to pump her for more information she’d been less willing to share during Dyne’s version of an interrogation. But the girl was so _hopeless._ It was like she’d never seen a roasted animal before, or fresh fruit, or vegetables. She’d been wide-eyed through all of dinner, constantly bubbling over with questions about _‘This is so good! How did you make it?’,_ or _‘Oh, that’s so tart! What flavoring is this?’_

Ungh, and she was so damn _polite_. The entire time they were eating, she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin with smooth and controlled movements that caused even Vyse, a famously messy eater, to slow down and try to emulate her. All the while, Aika picked at her own food, finding she had less and less of an appetite.

“Oh, you are such a delight, Miss Fina!” Vyse’s mother laughed. “And so pretty as well, don’t you think so, Vyse?”

 _She’s not that pretty_ , Aika wanted to snarl. Instead she jammed her fork into the piece of meat she’d just carved off of the slab on her plate and shoved it into her mouth. Across the table, Fina blushed a little and hid her face behind a hand, while Vyse went red from his brow to his collar and squeaked out his reply. “Mom!”

He _squeaked._ Aika couldn’t remember the last time Vyse had ever been anything but in control or ambitious with a side of youthful bravado. He hadn’t even squeaked when she caught him peeking into her bedroom while she was brushing out her hair! Ugh, she wanted to reach across the table and slap the stupid out of him. _Relax_ , she tried to tell herself. Vyse’s mom was just that warm and welcoming to everyone. She was just being nice to Fina, and doing what all parents did; try to embarrass the hell out of their kids.

“Mother, stop giving them such a hard time.” Dyne sighed, although his smile showed how he really felt about it. “Vyse, why don’t you take the girls out for a walk? I need to talk to your mother about where Fina’s going to be sleeping tonight.”

Aika’s grip on her fork was so tight that she felt it start to bend a little, and she put it down before putting on her brightest smile. “Yeah, that sounds great, captain! Great dinner, Missus D!” She whirled around the table and hoisted Vyse up by his arm, pulling him close to her side before looking over to Fina. “There’s a great view of the sunset on lookout point! Come on, Fina, we’ll show you around!”

“Hey, Aika, take it easy…” Vyse muttered. Moons, he could be so dense. Didn’t he _know_ why she was so on edge? No. Chances were he was just that clueless. Anything that didn’t involve his dream of traveling the world, or putting the hurt on the Valuans, or upholding his reputation as an up and coming Blue Rogue tended to fly right over his head.

Fina seemed just as obtuse to the friction as Vyse had been. She’d set her napkin on her plate, stood, and bowed formally to both the captain and his wife, that strange lacy veil around her hair bobbing by her shoulders. “Thank you for the meal. It was very delicious.” Then she turned to Aika and Vyse, and her smile only deepened. “I would love to see more of your home, if you are willing to guide me.”

Aika felt something twist in her stomach as Fina’s attention turned to them. Not a thread or a hair out of place, not a blemish or a wobble in her stance.

“It’s no problem.” Vyse quickly answered, tugging his arm free of Aika with a small grunt of effort. He shot her a small glower that sunk the redhead’s spirits further, then turned the smile back on and went to the door to open it for the girls. “Blue Rogues always help out those in need. Right, Aika?”

Aika paused for a moment as Fina gracefully walked ahead of her for the opened doorway, and pulled back into her head enough to seriously think on the question.

She remembered how they’d found Fina; unconscious, slung over the shoulder of a Valuan guard, being carted off by that cowardly pig Alfonso like some trophy of conquest. Whatever that jackass had planned for her…

Nobody deserved that.

Aika suppressed her shiver, and allowed a glimmer of guilt to slice through her rising jealousy. “You bet we do.” She conceded, following after them. She caught Fina’s gaze turning on her briefly as they emerged outside and walked shoulder to shoulder, and the slight nod of thanks made Aika’s own smile far less forced than it had been before.

She was just a strange girl from who knew where. Just another charity case for Mr. Blue Rogue incarnate. Just a soft, curvy girl with a guy-killing smile and perfect hair and…

Aika resolved then and there to stay closer to Vyse. As long as Fina was still around.


	2. He's Just That Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vyse and Aika go treasure hunting, and come back to find their families captured and their world burning...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

 

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Two: He’s Just That Nice**

* * *

 

 

It had been a simple question, really. She hadn’t expected it to be such a big deal. _‘Are you a princess?’_

Sitting up on lookout point, Vyse had gone on and on about his dream of traveling the world of Arcadia, seeing everything, going everywhere. It was inevitable, really; any excuse and he’d fly off on a tangent about it. Aika loved the stuffing out of her scarred friend, but there were times it even grated on her nerves. At least until his infectious optimism ground into her and made her forgive him. Fina had smiled, but her attention had clearly been elsewhere. Vyse fell into awkward silence, waiting for Fina to say something, but the girl was as tight-lipped as she’d been in Dyne’s office. Aika had considered it an icebreaker.

“Um, what?” Fina had jerked her head around, and her veil had bounced around her hair in the evening breeze. “What makes you think that?”

“Well, I mean, your outfit.” Aika went on. “I’ve never seen a dress like it before, but it’s plenty fancy. And how you eat, how you walk…”

Fina blushed, quickly shaking her head. “No. No, I’m not a princess. We don’t even have a monarchy, it’s more of a counc…” And then she’d widened her eyes and shut herself up with a squeak. “Um, so. No. Not a princess.”

“Well, you’re not like any other girl I’ve ever met.” Aika grumbled.

“It doesn’t matter who her people are.” Vyse insisted, glancing past Aika’s head to smile at Fina. “She was in trouble, and we helped her, and she’s here now.” The blond gave Vyse a grateful nod, and Aika looked off to the side so she could roll her eyes unnoticed. “Besides, she mentioned that she was on a quest-”

“Mission,” Aika muttered, correcting him.

“-Well, mission. Whatever it is has to be important.” Vyse amended. “And even if you won’t tell us what it is, Fina, we’ll help you however we can.”

“I’m not sure what you can do, really.” Fina explained sadly. “Those...Valuans, as you called them, they shot down my ship and pulled me off of it. It’s lost somewhere in the Deep Sky now.”

“Well, you’ve got some time to figure it out.” Aika said, changing gears. “We usually get a merchant ship who passes by here about every three or four days. If nothing else, we could help you buy passage to Sailor’s Isle. It’s kind of the crossroads of the trade lanes.”

Fina swallowed and smiled, though it seemed forced. “That is very kind of you.” Aika looked a little closer and wondered just how much weight she was carrying. She was smaller, daintier than Aika, didn’t look anywhere near as confident as she probably needed to be. She almost reached out to console her.

Almost. Thankfully, something stopped her, an burst of shooting stars that streaked down from the silver moon.

“Woah! That’s a big one!” Vyse called out, dialing in his zooming lens for a closer look at the storm. To Aika’s surprise, one of them actually managed to hit an island instead of just burying into the Deep Sky; there were few patches of land, in this part of the world.

“Hey, one hit the ground. Isn’t that Shrine Island?” Aika pointed out. Vyse quickly zoomed in on it and nodded once with a wide grin.

“Yeah, it is. Oh, wow. We’re in luck. You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Treasure hunt?” Aika grinned.

Vyse cackled back. “Treasure hunt!” They flew into their practiced and familiar ‘secret’ handshake, finishing with their side by side triumphant pose. “I’ll borrow my dad’s skiff. We can leave tomorrow at first light. Man, I wonder how huge that moonstone’s going to be? It sounded like a whopper!”

“The bigger the better, right?” Aika declared. “Imagine how much we should be able to get for it!”

“Absolutely.” Vyse looked down to Fina. “And with that much extra money, we should have no trouble at all helping you get started on this mission of yours.” And there was that sting in Aika’s chest again. “I don’t suppose you’d want to come along?”

“Um.” Fina hesitated, and Aika quickly jumped in.

“Oh, come on Vyse. Just look at her. Does she look like the kind of girl who goes diving into ruins? Have some class.” It was a deflection, one of her better ones, but Vyse looked chastened. Worse, Fina looked at Aika with gratitude in her eyes.

“Um, Miss Aika is right. If there is trouble, it would be better if...if you didn’t have to look out for me.” Fina apologized to Vyse.

The young Blue Rogue shrugged it off with his usual spark. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me then, Aika.”

“Just like always.” Aika said cheerfully, and met Fina’s eyes for a little longer before glancing away towards the horizon, tempering her smile.

_This is one thing you don’t get to take away from me, Princess._

 

***

 

_The Next Morning_

 

Vyse caught Aika staring at him mid-morning, right as they could see the swirling abyss of the Vortex come into focus beneath the still distant Shrine Island, and cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Something on my face?”

Aika pushed off of the railing of the small skiff that Dyne loaned out to his son when it wasn’t being used to catch Sky Sardis. “No, no.” It wasn’t like she could come out and tell him just how good, how _natural_ he looked at the helm of a ship. The times that the helmsman of his father’s ship had let him take the wheel had been paying off handsomely. She rolled her eyes and skipped over to his side, pressing her hands behind her back. “It’s just been a while since you and I were able to get out here on our own.”

“Yeah, we _have_ been pretty busy, what with all the raids on the Valuans.” Vyse admitted. “And that last one? I didn’t think we’d ever be able to go up against an admiral.”

“If that even counts. As I recall, he wasn’t exactly keen on a fight.” Aika snorted. “But don’t you think you’re getting a little too friendly with the new girl?”

It was a question that had to be asked, but she didn’t like the frown that Vyse gave her any less. “What do you mean, Aika?”

“I _mean_ , we know next to _nothing_ about Fina, and you’re falling all over yourself trying to help her. Which is funny, considering that she doesn’t _want_ our help enough to be straight with us.” Aika crossed her arms over her yellow leather tunic. “I’d swear it’s like you’ve never seen a girl before or something.”

“What?” Vyse blinked at her assertion, and took one hand off the wheel so he could turn to get a better look at her. “Aika, Blue Rogues help anyone in need.”

“Really? That’s your only reason?”

He blinked, then smirked. “Are you jealous?”

“ _What?_ Me? Jealous? Of **her**?” She punched him in the arm again to hide her blush. “I’m not jealous, I’m suspicious. Just because she’s pretty, you automatically think I’m jeal…”

“So, you admit she’s beautiful.”

“Hey! I said _pretty!_ Beautiful is another category altogether, you...you…” She puffed her cheeks out and pouted as he slipped into another one of his ‘I got you’ grins. “I’m just looking out for you, buster. You can’t afford to mess up just because some woman gives you the doe eyes.”

“Aika, relax.” Vyse laughed. “You’re getting way too worked up. Don’t worry. My head’s in the right place.”

“I’ll believe that when we reach Shrine Island and you show me you haven’t been slacking off.” She sniffed, and turned her head up and away.

Aika heard the sound of Vyse sliding a piece of wood through the pilot’s wheel, and had only a little bit to wonder on it before he leaned in and whispered at her, “Besides, if I really wanted to stare at a girl, all I have to do is move that little handkerchief over the hole in your wall…”

Maybe it was how close he was, maybe it was the purr in his whisper, or maybe Aika was just really good at lying to herself. Whatever the cause, she was red as her hair from her forehead to her toes before she blinked and processed what he’d said.

Then she wheeled about with a screech, ready to deck him flat. Vyse was already backing away and running with a laugh as she gave chase, and she caught sight of the broom handle shoved through the wheel, keeping them on course.

“Vyse, you _utter pervert_ , I knew you were lying! Didn’t mean to peek, my ass!”

It was a good three minutes before Vyse finally slowed down enough for her to catch up and take the bruises he had coming.

Aika blushed all the more when she heard him utter one last quip as she stormed off to go belowdecks.

_“...worth it…”_

 

***

 

In battle, Vyse was a completely different man. Had he been training, she might have taken the time to admire his form, the lines of his arm and how he deftly curved his swords around him in an alternating style of offense and defense that favored neither arm entirely. It was what made him so devastating to their foes; no matter which hand they favored, he could overwhelm them.

His crosshand style was slightly less effective against the monsters who had made the ruins on Shrine Island their home, but what moonstone-infused steel couldn’t handle, their magic and her own attacks made up for. It was a slog, moving through the ruins and slowly draining the water out of it, but the end result had been worth it. The raw moonstone lying at the bottom of the shrine had been _massive_ , and would sell well. Processed, it could power an entire ship on its own for months. Maybe even a year or more.

It was too bad there was an enormous metal automaton with some kind of an _energy cannon_ for an arm standing between them and the prize. Its normal attacks were bad enough, but the beam it fired had knocked Vyse off of his feet, even when he’d been guarding. After that first hit, the tactics changed quickly. Run and slash, and _avoid the targeting rays_ at all costs.

“He’s got a lock! He’s _got a lock!”_ Aika shrieked, moving in a flat out run around the metal humanoid, panicking as every one of the red beams around its single eye found a spot on her body to shine on.

“Hang on, Aika!” Vyse was there for the save, lunging up into the air and jamming one cutlass into a worn spot of the thing’s shoulder armor. The automaton twitched under the strike as sparks flew, and the arm cannon that had been coming up to fire on Aika instead unleashed a punishing beam behind her, leaving heavy scouring along the far wall that burned away the green overgrowth and algae and blackened the stone underneath. “Damn, this thing’s tough! We need a better strategy, and fast!” He pulled away from it before it could level him with a backhand, but it still managed to smash him with a smaller beam of light from its single eye. He grunted and fell back, panting a little before Aika threw a healing spell at him. He gave her a grateful nod.

“If we could get the thing to _slow down_ , we might be able to do some damage.” Aika grumbled. “And right now, you’re hurting it more than I am.”

“Think you could stun it?” Vyse called out, ducking a wild haymaker swing as the robot kept pursuing him. He’d gotten its attention, it seemed.

“Maybe, if I could catch it right in the face?” Aika twirled her boomerang in a tight circle, building up her energy. “I need to charge up a little first. Buy me some time!”

“I’ll do what I can. Don’t leave me hanging!” Vyse took off like a shot, burning up his adrenaline and keeping the robot’s focus on him. It tailed him with another blast from his arm cannon, and thankfully could only get one off. The shot missed Vyse, but he still ended up popping a Sacri crystal, clearly worn out.

Aika grit her teeth. He was giving it his all, and she could do no less. The leading edge of her boomerang began to flare with red light, her spirit channeled into the Moonstone reservoir along her weapon. “Almost, Vyse! When I signal you, line it up facing me!”

“Got it!” He panted, lurching a bit as another small laser caught him in the back of the leg. Aika almost shouted out for him, but held back. She had to hold on to her attack. Just a little more.

And _there_. Her entire boomerang blazed to life. “Now, Vyse!”

He skidded around to her feet, and the robot turned its head around to track in on him with its red targeting rays. Aika unloaded her charged up Alpha Storm head-on into its face, overwhelming it with heat and blinding light.

It did the trick. The thing recoiled and began to make odd beeping noises, flailing its arms around. Vyse lunged up off of the ground with a roar, jumping into the air and bringing both of his cutlasses to bear. To her immense satisfaction, he managed to jam both of his blades into the thing’s eye with a sound like breaking glass...and then the glowing lines along its body went dark. The thing collapsed to the ground with Vyse on top of it, breaking apart into the myriad parts it had been before they stumbled across it.

Aika stood there as Vyse slowly lurched up to his feet, panting for air, then busted out laughing. Vyse looked back at her like she’d lost her mind, which, Aika reflected, she may well have. He didn’t demand an answer though, he just kept looking at her and waiting for one.

She finally wiped away some of the grime on her face and looked at him. “Which joke do you want to hear?” Aika teased him.

“I swear, if you make some crack about it falling to pieces over me…”

“You gave him an eyeful.” Aika cut in, winking at him. Vyse blinked twice, groaned, and retrieved his swords. Aika went over to the raw chunk of unrefined moonstone lying on the shrine’s floor and rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited for Vyse to join her. He stopped beside her, and the two spent some time to admire their hard-won prize.

“Not bad for a morning’s work.” Vyse finally said. Aika harrumphed a little.

“More like a morning and a good chunk of the afternoon. Now, before we haul this thing up, set sail for home and dig into your mom’s picnic basket, there’s one last thing we need to do, Vyse.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Vyse asked.

Aika stepped back away from him and extended her hand. “Don’t leave me hanging.” She teased him.

Vyse didn’t. Another secret Blue Rogue handshake later, they laughed and got to work pulling the moonstone up. Today had been just what she needed. Just her, her best friend, an entire day of fighting, relaxing, and being the best damn air pirates in all of Arcadia, and no Fina to get in the way of it.

***

 

_Pirate Isle_

_Evening_

 

Their home had been _burning._

By the time they got back, the Valuan armada had come and gone and left destruction behind them. Their victory the day before had really pissed them off but good, and staring at all the wrecked houses...the _Albatross_ turned into a pile of burning wood and charred metal inside of the underground hangar…

Every elated feeling of sweet satisfaction had turned to ash and dust in her mouth, and on her hands.

The women and children had been spared, but every member of the _Albatross’s_ crew, Captain Dyne included, had been arrested and hauled off. And Fina? Fina was gone too.

_Captain Dyne was right. She was more important than she wanted us to know._

She’d been strong while she’d been beside Vyse at the start, and when they’d raced to help the survivors finish putting out the fires and taking stock of the island. She’d put on a brave face when Vyse swore in front of the families of their captured friends and shipmates that it wouldn’t stand, that he would _bring them all back home._ But it had forced up old traumas, and after the worst things had been dealt with, she’d retired to what was left of her family’s old and empty home and cried. For the loss of her parents back when she’d been a little girl. For the losses they’d taken now.

Aika couldn’t sleep after. There was still too much nervous energy buzzing around her. She made her way over to Vyse’s house, to talk with him…

But on the way over, she saw that he wasn’t there at all. He was up on the upper docks, loading supplies into the skiff. His shoulders were slumped and he didn’t hear her coming, something that would have never happened if he was paying attention. It pricked the alarm bells in the back of her mind.

Around everyone else, Vyse never faltered. He never showed weakness. But here, in the dark, by himself…Aika saw just how badly he had crumbled. Just how difficult it had been for him to hold himself together.

She had cried it out, wiped her tears away, and kept moving. He was refusing to face it, just going through the motions. Aika couldn’t let him do that to himself.

 

“You know, you should be in bed.” Aika called up to him in a relaxed voice.

“I’ll get there soon enough.” Vyse responded, not even looking over his shoulder as she hopped up onto the deck of the skiff. “Once I get all these supplies loaded up.”

Aika sized up the work he’d already done. “By the look of it, you’ve already stowed away most of our provisions. You should stop, get to bed.”

“I can’t stop.” Vyse snarled. “If I do, if I slow down, then my mind…”

“Races.” Aika finished his sentence, and that finally snapped him out of his funk. He turned around and gaped at her, and she shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep either. I was going to come talk to you. I didn’t expect to find you out here wearing yourself out, though I guess I should have expected it.”

Vyse swallowed. “We should have been here. We could have…”

“We could have _what_ , Vyse? We could have done **what, exactly?** ” Aika snapped back harshly. She’d had plenty of time to reflect on it after she’d run out of tears. She wondered if he saw just how red her eyes were, how puffy the skin under them was. She could feel it. “They threw the entire Armada at them. If we’d been here, we would have either ended up dead, or captured. And then who would be left to save anyone?!”

Vyse ground his molars together and looked down and away from her seething stare. “I...I just...What if we fail?”

“We’re going to get them back, Vyse.” Aika stepped over to him, set a hand on his shoulder. She forced him to look at her. She needed him to see the steel in her eyes. “All of them.”

He swallowed thickly. “There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan.”

“We had a plan?” Aika countered, laughing softly. “I thought we were making this up as we went along.”

“Don’t joke about this, Aika. Not now.” There was no heat in the rebuke, and she shrugged it off.

“You made a promise, Vyse. A promise to their wives, to their kids. And Blue Rogues keep their promises. Always.”

There came a glimmer of his old, familiar, unassailable confidence at that, but it fizzled quickly. “What if I’m not strong enough, Aika?” He whispered. Ashamed.

“That’s why you have me.” Aika persisted, trading out for tough love with a love tap to his shoulder. “Those are our friends, our people out there. I’m not giving them up. Are you?”

“No.” Vyse exhaled, finally accepting mother wit.

“Then get to bed.”

“You first.”

“I will _drag you_ back and have your mother tear you a new one…”

“Fine, _fine_. I’ll go.” He set a hand to his head and rolled his eyes. “When did you get so bossy?”

“When did you get so mopey?” They glared at one another, and Vyse finally broke the stalemate with an exhausted grin. “Just...one last thing first.”

She set her hands at her waist and gave a long-suffering sigh. “What, Vyse?”

He gestured with a tip of his head to the small grassy knoll beside the walking path. “I’m still too wound up. Want to moongaze with me? One last time, before we sail off tomorrow?”

Aika should have refused, gone back to her empty house with a bed that hadn’t been touched since her parents were killed, to her small little room with a small little bed that was part of her small little world.

She held out her hand, and Vyse took it, and led them down the walkway until their feet were on damp grass. They lay side by side, staring up at the silver moon and the sea of stars all around it. If she tried, she could almost feel the back of his gloved hand touching hers.

 

“You’re not doing this to say goodbye, are you?” She asked, when the silence and the smell of extinguished fires made the air too heavy to contemplate in silence any further. “Because I’m not planning on dying in Valua.”

“And you thought I was?” He asked her with a chuckle. “Come on, Aika. You know me.”

 _I do know you_ , she wanted to say, but didn’t. Only Aika ever saw this side of him. Only Aika knew how to put him back together again. So instead, she inched in closer to his side and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

“Don’t you dare go dying on me, Vyse.” She repeated the sentiment, letting the gentle inhale and exhale of his breathing finally start to lull her away. “You’re the only family I have left.”

“I know.” His hand came up and brushed along the side of her face, and she shivered. “Sorry. Was aiming for your hair.”

“Leave my hair out of this.” She complained halfheartedly. It was all an act, but it was an old, familiar dance, and they kept to their conventions. “We’re getting them back. All of them.” She promised him, and put enough force behind the pledge as if to make it a binding contract with the moons. That they weren’t going to be beaten by the Valuans. That they were going to survive.

They had too much to live for, too much left to see. To do. Maybe, Aika told herself, with a little more time, she’d be able to figure out the jumbled mess of butterflies in her chest.

“Even Fina.” Vyse said, adding to her vow.

Aika closed her eyes. The jealousy seemed so far away now, so shallow in the wake of the tragedy they’d come home to.

“Even Fina.” She repeated.

They should have gotten up, dragged themselves back to their houses, slept in their own beds. Instead, they spent the night out in their battle gear under the stars. It was as appropriate a farewell to home as anything else might have been. And nobody else on the island said a word about it.


	3. Old Folks Are Jerks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vyse and Aika con a grumpy old sailor into helping them infiltrate Valua, and take on a Black Pirate to prove their usefulness...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

 

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Three: Old Folks Are Jerks**

* * *

 

 

Vyse was beginning to think that the moons hated him. They hadn’t gone very far beyond Shrine Island when the skies began to cloud over with thick fog. It made sailing a more treacherous proposition, and he’d slowed...And then the keening cry of an Arcwhale had chilled his blood cold. He had tried to get clear of it, but the thing’s wake, its very breathing was intense enough that there was no way for their tiny ship to get clear of it. The skiff had been tossed like a kite in a tornado…

And the next time he came to, he and Aika were lying on the foredeck of an old ship with a green and yellow hull, captained and crewed by just one man.

One very old, very cranky, very _violent_ man, with a mechanical arm, an eyepatch, and enough salt and vinegar to open his own pickling cannery. The very first thing he’d done after yelling at them for ruining his hunt for the Arcwhale called Rhaknam was to punch Vyse flat on his back. The second was to put them to work.

 

His back was already strained after hauling up the first box of supplies to the bridge, and the old man had wasted no time, after listening to a little of his tale, in ordering him to get the second. Vyse wagered he had a little time to recover before he was expected back up there, and went over to where a fuming Aika was mopping belowdecks.

“If he hadn’t taken our gear and stowed it, I swear I’d knock him around.” Aika grumbled, her anger clear and visibly on display.

“I’m working on it.” Vyse tried to soothe her nerves. That was forever Aika. Quick to joy, quick to anger, a firebird in her own right. “He finally asked me who we were after I got that first crate up.”

“So is he going to help us?”

Vyse made a face. “I don’t think so. But he’s not going to maroon us, either. He said he’s headed for Sailor’s Island to resupply before heading out. We’re good for that far, at least. And I did get him to promise that he’d return our stuff before he left us.”

“Well, he’d better! The old jerk.” Aika snorted. “So what’s his deal, anyways? Because I’ve been down here a while, and even though this is an old ship, he’s got some serious hardware.”

“Oh?” That piqued the Blue Rogue’s interest.

Aika’s pout went away for the thoughtful expression she wore when she got more technically minded. “Yeah. Cannons. They’re definitely not top of the line, but from what I could tell, he’s maintained them pretty well. And he’s got them rigged up so that he can fire them from the bridge, if my guess is right.”

“I guess he was serious about hunting Rhaknam.” Vyse conceded. “But...how does he reload them?”

“He doesn’t. Not from up there, anyways.” Aika shrugged. “This is an old fishing ship. Converted. He can sail it by himself, but he’d need a crew to fight effectively.”

“Maybe that’s our way into his good graces.” Vyse mused aloud. “We’ll play it safe for now, but...we’re going to need help if we’re going to get into Valua and save our family and friends.”

“You think that he’d help us? Willingly?” Aika stared at him as if he’d grown a second head.

Vyse exhaled. “I don’t know. Maybe. Dad always taught me to look for the angles. The solution nobody expects. There’s a way to get him on board, Aika, there has to be. I just haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Well, when you do, Vyse, let me know.” Aika got back to swabbing the decks at an angrier pace. “In the meantime, it’s back to the salt mines for us. We wouldn’t want His Wrinkliness getting angry enough to throw us overboard.”

Vyse chuckled uneasily and headed for the second crate. He’d almost said that he didn’t think the old man would actually go through with that threat, but stopped himself short.

The fact was, he didn’t know enough about the old guy to promise anything.

 

***

 

_Sailor’s Island_

 

As it turned out, his name was Drachma, and the gruff sailor knew quite a bit. Vyse kept managing the chores Drachma gave him to do, and then suddenly the old man gave him a turn at the helm. Vyse did his best to impress their grumpy rescuer, and while Drachma didn’t laugh or crack a smile, his scowl went down by a few degrees. It was a start, at least. And it promised to be an ending as well, especially since as soon as they made port, Drachma all but threw their belongings at them, told them to get off the _Little Jack_ , and made for the pub to get himself a drink.

“Supplies first.” Vyse resolved wearily, and they made their way to replenish their travel rations and to see about upgrading their kit a little more. They had the money after turning in the spoils from their successful expedition on Shrine Island, and Vyse did like how his new underlayer of armor felt. A little extra reassurance against being too badly wounded in combat went a long way to improving his mood. Neither of them was in any great hurry to move to the pub and get something to eat in spite of their grumbling stomachs, because that would mean having to deal with Drachma...or worse, watching him leave with their fractional hopes.

“Come on.” Aika finally said, when they’d packed away as much as they could in their bags for a rainy day. “There’s a Sailor’s Guild office here. At the very least, we could see if anyone’s booking passage to Valua anytime soon.”

“And I could tell them about the Pirate’s Grave.” Vyse suggested. “I hear they pay well for Discoveries too.”

“The more money the better, right?” Aika grinned at him. It was something to do, and Vyse hated waiting around and doing nothing when there was work to be done. They were just about at the doors when they heard the whispers from a pair of merchants next to the building, something about _‘a new Valuan weapon…’_

Vyse went still, turned around, and walked over to them. “Excuse me.” He said to them politely. “I’m new in these skies. What was that about Valua, and a secret weapon?”

“Oh, it’s no secret.” One of the merchants glanced up at him and smiled. “The Valuans recently authorized the sale of a new bow-mounted weapon that fires a harpoon on a rope for later retrieval. It was originally meant for hunting, but it can do some damage in its own right.”

“Wow.” Vyse raised his eyebrows. “Hunting what? Arcwhales?”

“You could, I suppose.” The other merchant shrugged. “But I think they wanted to give merchant ships something that could help them fight back against sky pirates, while not creating a new arms race. After all, what good would a harpoon gun be against a Valuan warship?”

Vyse was enough of a tactician to see the possibility, and he ended up smiling about it. “Not much, I’d think.” He lied, thanking the two and stepping back away.

Aika must have caught him smiling, because she nudged his shoulder while he lingered outside the door to the Sailor’s Guild, glancing once at the bounty posters, including a new one for a Black Pirate who’d been causing some new trouble for the Nasrians.

“I know that look, Vyse. What are you thinking?” She demanded.

Vyse reached for the dial on his goggle and adjusted the focus a bit.

“I’ve got our angle.”

 

***

 

Vyse could have played it straight with the old man, but after the abuse that Drachma had been giving them all day, a little payback was way overdue. After all, he was a Blue Rogue, not a saint. Aika, ever willing to hop into a scheme with him, had been just as playful, dancing around the topic and making snarky side comments until finally, Drachma had slammed down his tankard, swore loudly enough to make the conversation in the pub come to a standstill, and glare at the two of them with a gimlet eye.

“The point, boy. Get to it.” Drachma finally snapped.

“You’re trying to hunt down Rhaknam. I know where you can get a weapon that will give your ship the edge in hunting down Arcwhales.” Vyse folded his arms.

“For a price.” Drachma droned. Vyse smirked and nodded.

“You’re not shoving us off, Drachma. You’re taking us with you.”

Drachma blinked, then put a hand to his forehead. “This weapon’s in Valua, isn’t it.” All Vyse had to do was laugh after that.

Behind the bar, a middle-aged redhead with rubenesque curves laughed into her hand. “Face it, Drachma. I think the kids have your number.”

“You stay out of this, Polly.” Drachma growled, though without any real heat. He picked up the rest of his drink and downed it in a few swallows. “Fine, boy. Let’s shove off, then. The Valuans have been tightening security, so we’ll need to see about gettin’ a passport first.”

“Not so fast.” Vyse held up a hand, stopping Drachma just as he was about to hop off of his chair. “Aika and I still haven’t eaten. And a good captain wouldn’t let his crew starve, would he?”

Polly’s laughter was louder than Drachma’s suffering groan, but only just.

 

***

 

_South Danel Strait_

 

There was bad news, and a solution for it. They needed a passport to enter Valuan airspace. The bad news: It took forever to apply for one, and nobody in the Sailor’s Guild wanted to risk arrest to forge them one. The solution? A Nasrian merchant who was headed home was more than happy to give them his own.

The catch, however, was sizable. Baltor the Black-Bearded had been attacking traffic in the South Danel Strait, and the _Little Jack_ would have to provide escort. With luck, Baltor wouldn’t catch sight of their ships, and they could pass through unmolested.

Vyse didn’t have that kind of luck, at least lately.

 

The door to the bridge swung open, and Aika stuck her head in, her face grim. “I’ve got a positive identification, Captain Drachma. It’s the _Blackbeard_.”

“Air pirates.” Drachma growled angrily.

“Black Pirates.” Vyse corrected the old man, his hands tight on the wheel. “They’re different from the Blue Rogues. Black Pirates attack anyone, but they especially like going after helpless targets.”

Drachma breathed in and out a few times, and Vyse hesitated. He knew what he _wanted_ to do, and after spending a while handling the _Little Jack_ as its Helmsman, he knew _what_ they could do. But it was still Drachma’s ship.

“Orders, captain?”

“Bring us about to intercept.” Drachma finally ordered. He shook his head. “This could go down poorly. How many guns did they have, girl?”

“At least thirty.” Aika said, already running the numbers. “And you only have six.”

“Aye.” Drachma droned.

Vyse considered the fight. On the surface, the _Little Jack_ was sorely outclassed. They were on a converted fishing vessel, for crying out loud. But then, he pushed down the voice of doubt. He thought of his father, and the rest of the _Albatross_ crew, somewhere in Valua, either rotting in jail or waiting for execution.

He thought of Fina, a girl that the Valuans had been willing to use their entire Mid-Ocean Armada to capture.

And he remembered who he was, and the Code of the Blue Rogues.

 

“They may be bigger, and have more guns, but we’ve got advantages too.” Vyse announced confidently. “This ship is lighter, faster, and more maneuverable.” He looked to Drachma, all grins. _If you want to inspire confidence, display it._ “You took a fishing vessel and turned it into a ship of war to hunt down a legendary Arcwhale. Baltor’s expecting an easy fight, but I’ve seen the armor plating beneath the outer wooden hull, the extra structural reinforcements you’ve put in. And Aika told me about your engine; it’s rated for a vessel twice the size of this one. If we fight smart, we can win this, Cap’n Drachma.”

 

He waited for the old man to balk, or to take command himself and order them to fight his way. Instead, Drachma’s single eye met both of his, and the crusty monster hunting fisherman...smirked.

“Ye may be right. You two know how to handle yourselves, at least. Fine. If we’re taking on a pirate, we may as well be led by one.”

“Blue Rogue!” Aika snapped. Drachma waved a hand, clearly uninterested in the debate.

“Vyse. Take the helm, lad. I’ll be belowdecks, managing the cannons. Your lass here...well. You figure out what to do with her.”

“Hey!”

Vyse nodded. “Aye-aye, captain.”

Drachma sized up the two one more time, coming to a moment of peace. “And lad?”

“Yes, captain?”

“You force us to abandon ship, and I’ll make sure you’re the first one to be thrown to the abyss.” Drachma’s smile was less pleasant after that, and he turned for the stairs, heading down below.

Vyse fought off his shiver, and lined up the _Little Jack_ ’s prow with the _Blackbeard_ , still a small dot in the distance, but one fast growing in size and definition. “Aika. You mind being our runner?”

“Put out the fires as they happen, act as your spotter?” Aika mused. “Sure. You know how crazy this is, don’t you?”

“Crazier than sneaking into Valua to rescue everyone?” Vyse countered, raising an eyebrow. Aika laughed at his bravado and headed out for the deck.

“Right. We’re Blue Rogues. We never do things the easy way.”

Vyse nodded to himself, gripped the wheel even harder, and let the call of battle flow through him.

_Blue Rogues never back down from a greater danger._

 

***

 

Like most ships, the cannons of the _Blackbeard_ were meant to be fired as broadsides. So were the _Little Jack’s_ cannons, but Vyse knew better than to get into a slugging match with the larger and more formidable ship.

He was never so glad for how well maintained Drachma kept the old girl as when the pirate ship, sensing that he meant to close the gap, began to wheel around to fire a broadside.

“Hang on to something!” Vyse shouted into the communication tubes, warning the old man and Aika before he toggled a lever and fed additional power from the moonstone engine to the atmospheric condensors. The small ship gained additional buoyancy, and rose up, keeping nose-first towards the larger ship. He caught sight of the puffs of smoke from the enemy cannons, and felt intense relief as every warshot screamed harmlessly beneath the keel.

 _“Cannons loaded, boy.”_ Drachma’s surly voice shot up from the gundeck. _“Don’t be bouncin’ me ship all over, the girl’s tough, but she’s not as young as she used to be!”_

Aika came running back onto the bridge. “Hey Vyse, I’ve got an idea. Lemme talk to the captain quick!” Vyse spared her only a glance before nodding tightly, turning his attention ahead. The _Blackbeard_ was beginning to turn around, likely to bring its other broadside full of cannons to bear. Aika darted past him and went to the brass communication tubes. “Captain, are your cannons rated for magical augments?”

 _“No, it’s not.”_ Aika scowled, and kicked at the floor.

“So much for my idea.”

“Maybe not.” Vyse said, his mind spinning fast for ideas. “Captain, do you have any cannonballs with a moonstone inlay?”

_“Ah...one, I think. It’s old, though.”_

Vyse chuckled. “I’m sending Aika down there. And strap those cannons down.”

 _“Boy, I just_ **_told you_ ** _…”_

“I know, I know! But I’ve got an idea, and it involves us getting _right on their stern_.” He glanced over to Aika, hoping that she could tell just how serious he was about it.

His oldest friend threw him a salute and then dropped her goggles down over her eyes. “Let me guess. Charge that ball with red magic?”

“You know me so well.” Vyse praised her. She was flushed to begin with from the adrenaline of combat, so he wasn’t sure, but for a bit as she dashed off, Vyse thought her face had gone a few shades redder.

He put it out of his mind and reached for the altitude lever, throwing it in reverse and diving down _under_ the _Blackbeard’s_ firing arc right as it finished its slow turn and leveled the second set of cannons. This time he wasn’t quite as lucky, and two cannonballs smashed through the sails and splintered one of the smaller masts. At least, Vyse hoped it was the smaller mast, because the ship didn’t immediately start handling poorly.

Its powder spent, the _Blackbeard_ could do little but start to dive and to try and circle the smaller vessel. But Vyse’s estimation of Drachma’s ship, and the Black pirate vessel, had been dead on. It turned like a drunken grouper. Vyse easily swept beneath it and then turned the _Little Jack_ around, coming up on its hindquarters.

He toggled the communication tube to the gundeck. “Aika? Tell me you’re ready down there!”

_“I’m charging it now, Vyse! I have to go slow, or else the thing will explode before we fire it!”_

“Okay, but hurry. Captain Drachma, which side of the ship’s cannons are loaded with normal shot already?”

_“We’re loading your girl’s magic cannonball on the starboard side. Port side’s toggled and ready to fire.”_

Vyse nodded to himself, already running the numbers. He doubted the Black Pirates would give them a second chance at this tactic. “On my command, fire everything on the port side. Then I’m going to go into a flat skid and wheel us sidewards so we can launch the starboard cannons at the same target area. Get ready!”

The _Blackbeard_ was spinning around, but it was easy enough for Vyse to get on the ship’s tail. He cut into their lumbering turn, his goggle zooming in on the starboard cannons. Much further and he’d sail right into their firing arc. Still, he needed the angle. Almost...almost…

“Fire port cannons!” Vyse shouted, and was immediately drowned out by the noise of thunderous explosions. He pushed the ship into full reverse, which lowered the mainsail and threw the smaller maneuvering fins into a backwards wheeling motion. The _Little Jack_ lurched as it fought against its forward momentum, and Vyse kept his eyes on the stern of the menacing pirate ship. He exulted when all three of the smaller cannonballs smashed into the wooden hull, which was relatively unarmored.

Tactics. Pirate ships like theirs kept their cannons along the sides. To save money, Black Pirates left sections like the keel, and the _stern_ , unarmored. And today it was costing them.

He spun the wheel hard as they kept on braking, and the _Little Jack_ skidded sideways, bringing its starboard cannons to bear.

“Fire starboard!”

Two normal shots, and a brilliantly glowing star of light, sped off away from the _Little Jack_ and burrowed into the back end of the _Blackbeard_. More damage...and then the lone magical cannonball exploded, destroying the ship’s rudder completely and exposing entire decks to open air.

 

Vyse screamed in triumph as the _Blackbeard_ , now burning and broken, turned away from the duel and lowered its standard of a white skull and crossbones on a black background. They were giving up the fight...and going home.

Aika came running up the steps two at a time as Vyse slowly brought the _Little Jack_ away from their duel and turned back for the merchant vessel they were escorting. She whooped like a maniac, soot covering her face and goggles as she tore them off so her brown eyes could shine brilliantly.

“We did it! We did it, Vyse!” She was so excited and caught up in the moment that Vyse couldn’t help but join her in their usual celebratory Blue Rogues victory handshake and pose. They’d barely finished it when Captain Drachma came up behind him and cuffed him hard on the back of the head (with his normal hand, thankfully), all scowls.

“Never take your hand off the wheel, boy!” Drachma snapped at him. “And don’t be blubbering, either. You got lucky, and they were careless.”

Vyse hissed out between his teeth as he rubbed at the bruise. “Fought a lot of pirates yourself, old man?” He demanded, tired of being pushed around.

Drachma’s anger dissipated into irritation at that, and he shook his head. “We survived, but the ship’s damaged. I’ve got the wheel, lad.” He took up station at the helm and looked over his shoulder to Vyse and Aika, all business once again. “Go see what the damage is, and then get busy repairing it. I’ve got lumber supplies and iron plating belowdecks.”

“Aye...captain.” Vyse muttered, taking hold of Aika’s hand before the fuming girl could pop off and say something worse to the old man, dragging her out onto the foredeck.

“And boy?” Drachma called out, stopping them at the door. Vyse froze up, but didn’t look back. He was too mad to school his face. Drachma’s next words took the heat right out of him.

“You did good, boy. But try to do better next time, eh? You’ve got more lives than your own to worry about now.”

The reminder of what was at stake caused Vyse to swallow down his angry retort and nod. Aika didn’t bother shutting up.

“Next time, captain?” She teased Drachma. “Not so eager to get rid of us now, are you?”

“You two have your uses.” Drachma admitted. It wasn’t a full on glowing letter of praise...but Vyse took what he could get, and dragged Aika away with him.

 

***

 

_Sailor’s Island_

_That Evening_

 

It had been early evening by the time that they’d finally made the guarded border to Nasrad, and true to his word, the merchant had passed them his Valuan passport. Then came the long voyage back out of the South Danel Strait and back to Mid-Ocean...where they could then turn northwest into Valuan airspace. By the time that they made Sailor’s Island, it was just past midnight, and none of them were all that perky. Drachma had paid for their rooms after cashing in the bounty for defeating Baltor back at the Sailor’s Guild...and paid for it out of his half of the bounty, having unceremoniously shoved the rest of the coinpurse into Vyse’s hands for ‘sailor’s wages.’

Vyse had managed all of about an hour of staring up at the ceiling on the soft bed at the inn before his mind got the better of him. It had started out too quiet, and then the buzzsaw of Drachma’s loud snoring next door had made things worse. He’d grimaced and rolled onto his side, looking over to where Aika slept on the room’s second bed. Of course she was out like a light. With her hair freed from its upright pigtails, it swirled around her as a sea of red.

She could go an entire day with Vyse just seeing her as his best friend, his closest ally in a fight. He almost never got to see her like this. Peaceful. Looking like an actual girl.

His gut twisted up as he once again realized just what he was dragging her into.

 

With sleep eluding him, Vyse tossed his blanket back and swung over to the side of his bed, reaching for his boots. He had the second one laced up almost all the way when Aika let out a muffled groan, stirred, and cracked an eye open.

She caught him standing in the light of the silver moon darting down through the window. Confusion led to halfhearted concern, assuaged slightly by the fact he wasn’t reaching for his swords. “What’s wrong?” He heard her mutter.

“Nothing.” Vyse told her quietly. “Just can’t sleep. Go back to bed.”

“Mmmmph. No.” Aika started to push herself up, and Vyse lurched the few steps to the side of her bed and brought a hand down to her forehead. She went still immediately, and cracked both eyes to look up at him in surprise.

“Vyse?” She breathed.

He thought he was smiling, and on impulse, traced his fingers through her hair. She shivered as he did, and frowning at how cold it had gotten, he reached for her blanket and pulled it up further over her, covering her shoulders. “Don’t worry about me, Aika. I’ll be fine. Just still a little worked up over that battle earlier today.”

“Heh.” She sighed and rolled her eyes before smiling at him, openly and honestly. Moons, it was amazing how many facets there were to her. She snuggled into the bed a little more and closed her eyes. “You were amazing. Just like...I always knew you could be.”

Vyse stroked a thumb over her forehead. “So were you. I couldn’t have pulled off the win without you.”

“S’because of you.” She muttered with another sigh.

“What is?” Vyse whispered. But this time, she didn’t answer. “Aika?” When she didn’t even respond to her name, Vyse knew she was lost to sleep again.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly, then stepped away and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

 

With nothing but time, sleeplessness, and nervous energy on his hands, Vyse wandered the entire stretch of the island before climbing up into the lighthouse. He leaned out of one of the windows, his back to the rotating glass and torchlight behind him, and stared out to the north. There in the north, the darkness of the night sky became blotted out by dark and angry permanent thunderclouds.

Out there, beyond dark skies, was Valua. It was a land he had only ever heard of, a people he’d never encountered beyond the soldiers and warships they sent to enforce their tyrannical control of the skies. It was the home of the Yellow Moon, whose moonstones carried the power of electricity.

It was where his people, where Fina, had been taken. He had vowed to bring them back, and only in audacity did he have a chance of pulling off that victory. But the risks...the risks kept his mind racing.

Would he die on this quest? Was he condemning Aika to death as well? Would the last thing he ever saw be her face, tracked with tears, as he lay with his head on the block and an axe racing for his neck?

 

A flutter of movement in the night sky, a tiny bit of reflection caught his attention, and he jerked a hand up right before he was smacked in the face with a wind-tattered kite that carried an unusual string...a string with a small glass bottle at the end of it.

“What’s this?” He muttered, raising the bottle up to the rotating searchlight behind him. Laid bare, he could see the bottle had a rolled up scrap of paper inside, and he quickly uncorked it and tapped it out.

 

It was written in barely legible tradespeak, the author was unknown, but the message chilled his blood. Whoever had written it, they pleaded for help from someone called ‘Quetya’, to save them from the Valuans.

He nearly crumpled the letter in his anger, but thought better of it and tucked it away for safekeeping. Familiar anger bubbled away in him, and it burned away the doubt and weakness he had felt only seconds before.

There were risks, but he had accepted them. And so had Aika. For years, the Valuans had taken, and taken, and swallowed up the skies in their empire. The Blue Rogues, his father, their friends and neighbors, had been born out of the pressure of that oppression. He had almost forgotten some of the most important lessons in the Code of the Blue Rogues.

 

“Blue Rogues leave nobody behind.” Vyse vowed, and glared into the dark stormclouds to the north. “And Blue Rogues fly _free_.”

Come tomorrow morning, Captain Drachma and Aika would find Vyse waiting down in the lounge of the inn, drinking coffee and looking refreshed and determined. He would be ready to take on the world.

The Valuans would never see them coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will not be a Novelization, but let's face it; this early on in the story, you have to work in their opening exploits. Every legend starts somewhere.  
> You can expect to see more of the Code of the Blue Rogues in future chapters.


	4. What Hope Looked Like

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a young boy in Valua's slums meets with three strangers...and learns what hope looks like.

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Four: What Hope Looked Like**

* * *

 

 

_Valuan Capital_

_Lower City_

 

Ships came and went from Valua like clockwork, timed to the turning of the distant edifice of the Grand Fortress. The well-maintained ships bearing opulent and exotic cargoes sailed for the port in the Upper City, or so the stories went. After far too long of a childhood spent rummaging through garbage bins for scraps to calm the gnawing hunger in his belly, Marco had little time for stories. Stories were what parents told their children when the clothes went threadbare, the food went rotten, and their shack either fell apart from a heavy rainstorm or was repossessed. Stories were empty, meaningless, and cruel. They taunted and teased what the poor and destitute of the mighty Valuan Empire would never possess. Down in the Lower City, the port docking fee was far less, and fewer questions were asked. The only ships he ever saw were ones bearing cargo for the black market, or poor sailors with nothing of real value worth taking.

Every part of his outfit was covered in the grime and filth of the Lower City, and his eyes had long ago lost their brightness. Only the unruly mop of red hair on top of his head had any real color, and even then, only when he got caught in the rains. He had never been truly healthy, but stubbornness and ingenuity had kept him from being a walking bag of bones, like the worst wretches down here. Marco knew the patterns of life in the Lower City. He knew when ships came in, he knew where food scraps could be found. It was all hard-won experience, a lifetime’s worth of exploration and observation...and so far as he could remember, he was only ten years old.

Following the patterns of the Lower City had brought him to the edge of the docks, in search of errant valuables he could pawn off, or actual food he could steal and run off with. Sometimes he got lucky, other times he went hungry. He was getting better at it, though. It was only surviving, but down here, survival was all that mattered.

 

He reminded himself of that as he came up empty-handed from his third trash bin, wearing a scowl and doing his best to ignore the eternal ache in his gut. And then he caught sight of an unfamiliar flash of vibrant color approaching the docks. It was a ship quite unlike anything he’d ever seen before. At first glance, it seemed to be just another fishing vessel, gaudily painted up in green and yellow. But then he caught sight of the covered openings along its side; gunports.

This ship was something new.

It pulled into the docks at an empty berth, and the dockmaster’s assistant ran out to meet it. A young man in blue and a girl his age in yellow came out onto the deck and prepared a gangplank. They were joined not long after by an older man who could have been their grandfather, and the old fellow spoke to the assistant for a long while. They eventually shook hands, money was passed over, and the ship and the dockmaster’s assistant pulled away, heading for the nearby shipyards, leaving the boy and the girl alone on the docks.

They carried weapons and looked seasoned, but Marco didn’t get the same sense of immediate danger off of them as he usually did with the black marketeers. He smirked a little as another thought came to mind; that they were _marks._ He knew the game well. Introduce himself, offer to show them around...then grab their cash and dash.

So he went on ahead of them, stopped at an intersection that they would have to pass, and waited.

 

***

 

Marco would have just tried to steal their money and make a break for it, but the girl had to open her big mouth and start insulting him, and the boy had been unusually canny, keeping him at a distance even while being slightly more polite than she had been. Had the goggle-wearing fellow sensed Marco wanted to pick their pockets? He had been expecting them to be complete rubes, fresh off the boat. Easy pickings for a kid who’d taken on life the hard way. It had all made him so angry and frustrated that he’d run off fuming, swearing revenge on them. He turned a corner, doubled back around, and followed them.

To his confusion, the two didn’t pass through the Lower City with scorn or apathy. They didn’t steer away from the inconvenient sight of a sick huskra, but petted it and gave it a bit of their own food before walking on. A young girl Marco only knew in passing who still had a parent spoke of her dream of someday eating white bread, instead of the hard black bread that cracked teeth. For her came a small bit of green healing magic that put color in her cheeks, and a walk to the grocer’s, where they _bought her_ a loaf of bread, a bit of cheese, and some meat...then sat her down and waited as she ate it, so that nobody else could take it from her. She cried almost the entire time, and they had to coax her not to eat too fast so she wouldn’t get sick.

His stomach growled all the harder at that, and Marco almost walked out there to beg for some himself. Only the thought that he had stolen from the grocer’s in the past and would be chased away on sight stopped him.

Nobody cared about others down here. You fought for yourself because nobody else would, and if you had to push someone else down to survive, it was what you _did_.

Who were these two? Why did the young man look like he wanted to burn down the castle and all of the Upper City, as he stared across the skyline to the opposite side of the capital, blazing with light? Why did the redhead in yellow who had been so churlish and dismissive before with him pull that girl in close for a hug and whisper words of encouragement before she smiled and ran off?

Nothing they did added up to Marco’s understanding of how the world worked. He kept following them, chasing at a distance they couldn’t detect as they made their way to the singular inn, a worn and rusting metal building whose corrugated roof, he guessed from observation, likely made it impossible to sleep at night during a heavy downpour. He clambered up a downspout and hunkered down opposite of a window as they made their way inside. It took them a few minutes to finagle with the lady inside, and then they finally made their way upstairs. Marco shimmied around on the rooftop and made a long jump across the gap, landing safely on the walkout balcony by their room and then pressing himself flat against the wall to listen in.

 

_“...been forever since I could sleep on an actual bed. A real mattress, a pillow…”_

_“Heh, you still have it better than me, Aika.”_

_“I take it that hammock down in the_ Little Jack’s _engine room isn’t all that comfortable?”_

 _“Hardly.”_ The young man grumbled in reply. Marco kept silent, soaking it all in. So. Her name was Aika...and he was Vyse. And then a short while later, the old man who’d come with them came storming in, quickly passing on more information that set Marco’s heart racing.

They’d come here looking for...their family? Their friends? Who were going to be _executed_ in the Coliseum tomorrow morning?! Marco almost gasped. He’d heard enough rumors to know that the Armada had captured an entire crew’s worth of Air Pirates not long ago. If these people were here for them, that meant…

It meant a reward. It meant money. It meant, for Marco, a chance at security.

The scarred young man declared they would sneak into the Coliseum early tomorrow morning, and break them out. Marco shook his head. It was foolhardy. Not impossible, if you knew your way around, but...Well. They wouldn’t get the chance.

He turned to leave, and promptly slipped on a puddle hidden in the shadows. It caused him to tip over and he caught himself on the railing, but it made enough noise that the conversation inside came to a grinding halt.

Marco swore under his breath and took off like a shot along the rooftops just as they burst outside and saw him. He ran for his life, but it wasn’t enough. All his quick moves, his knowledge of the Lower City failed. The young air pirate Vyse was healthier, faster, and stronger than he was. The blue-coated rogue caught up to him right as he had finished shoving the manhole cover over the sewer entrance to the side, and lifted him up by the scruff of his collar effortlessly.

“Put me down, you glass-eyed freak!” Marco howled, flailing around. Vyse gave him a hard shake that left him dizzy, and he slumped in defeat.

“What the...you’re that kid from this afternoon! Marco!” Vyse exclaimed, and dropped him on the ground. Hard. Marco groaned and rubbed at his sore bottom as he pulled himself back up to his feet, not missing how Vyse maneuvered around to block his escape into the sewers.

“Vyse! Did you get him?” The shrill voice of the red-headed girl came from above, and then she poked her head over the side of the ledge overhead. Her face dropped. “Oh, great. It’s that annoying kid from earlier today!”

“So what’s it to you?” Marco snapped, as the old man sedately appeared by Aika’s side. “I heard what you were talking about, you _pirates._ I bet the guard would pay well if I told them all about you and your plans!”

The old man didn’t mince words, raising his metal arm and pointing his fist down at the boy. Marco’s eyes went wide, seeing his death in that pose. “No reason to keep you alive then, brat.” The old man harrumphed. The girl beside him seemed horrified, flailing back and protesting.

Marco just ducked his head and chuckled in defeat. “Go ahead. Do it.” Only silence answered him, and he looked up to see the old man just _staring_ at him. “Do it!” Marco repeated, angrily. “It’s not like anybody’s going to miss me, not even the rats! At least if I’m dead, I won’t have to dig through the garbage for scraps anymore!”

“No regrets, lad?” Drachma’s mouth quirked into a little grin. “Good.”

“Cap’n, you can’t!” Aika exclaimed. “He’s just a kid!”

Marco was surprised again when Vyse stepped around him and then stood between him and the old man protectively.

“Nobody’s dying here, not today.” Vyse vowed. “You got that, Captain Drachma?”

The old man growled, swore, and spun around in a huff. Vyse turned and looked down to Marco.

All Marco could do was stare back incredulously. “Wuh…”

Vyse looked past him, to the open manhole cover. “Hey, kid. What’s down there?”

Marco rubbed at his face. “The old Catacombs. Or they used to be. Now they’re just used as the sewers. I live down there.”

Vyse got a strange look on his face. “Do the sewers go under the Coliseum?”

“Yeah...why?” Marco blinked.

“If we use them to sneak in tomorrow morning, we can get past the guards.” Vyse declared, grinning like a madman. Marco stared at him some more, then busted out laughing.

“You’re crazy! You think you can get past all the guards inside the Coliseum and free your friends? You’d be signing your own death warrants! Just give up and go home!”

Vyse took the insult and let it roll off his back without a care. “Can’t do that, kid. Blue Rogues never give up. Especially when their friends are counting on them.” Vyse set his hands at his waist. “Marco, if you ever went sailing with that attitude, you’d probably give up the first time you went into a squall. That’s a poor attitude for a sailor, much less a man, to take.”

“Shut up.” Marco looked away and sniffled.

Vyse exhaled. “No matter how bad the storm is, kid, there’s always a way out of it. I’ve been in bad situations before and always gotten out, and I’m not giving up now.” He turned and looked up the stairs. “Aika, Captain, we’re using the Catacombs tomorrow to get under the Coliseum.”

Marco stood back up, picked his nose, and flicked away the dusty booger he found. “Aren’t you supposed to kill me?” He mumbled. “What if I told on you?”

“You won’t.” Vyse replied.

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Yes, I do.” Vyse snorted. “You’ve given up on life, Marco? Then you’ll be at the Coliseum tomorrow. I want you to see something interesting before you die.”

“What?” Marco blinked, not sure what the older boy was thinking. Vyse just grinned at him, tossed him a bit of dried meat from his pocket, and climbed up the ladder after his friends.

Marco watched them leave, stared at the jerky in his hand, and found himself unsure of what to do next.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do next. Something unusual had come to Valua.

 

***

 

He hardly slept at all that night, and earlier than most people did, Marco shoved his feet into his shoes and made his way to the Coliseum. Even here, there was separated seating between the upper and lower classes, a divided partition that kept those from the Lower City with interacting with the elites at all.

He got there early, but the lines were still long. An entire crew of Air Pirates? This was the kind of show that Valua loved to put on, and the people ate it up. He’d been to plenty of these. The Queen’s soldiers kept guard, a lucky few were given bread that was usually fought over while the upper crusts laughed about it, and somebody, or a lot of somebodies, ended up dead while the crowd roared. Sometimes they were allowed to fight for a chance at their lives, but today, there would be no fight.

Nobody ever said it in earshot of the guards, but Marco knew that a lot of the crowd in his section of the Coliseum liked to imagine that the people being executed were the ones in charge. They talked about it after, when they spent what little money they did have on cheap alcohol.

The Coliseum orator whipped them all up into a frenzy, screaming about the crimes of the air pirates, and especially of their leader, Captain Dyne of the ‘Bloodthirsty Blue Rogues.’ There was no way of knowing just how much was truth and how much was fiction made up in the heat of the moment, but it didn’t matter to the crowd. It was part of the show, and the show was distraction from everything in their lives that was rotten and wrong.

Only when the orator at last seemed satisfied with the howls and the boos pouring down into the bowl of the arena did he gesture to the guards at the gates underneath the arena’s seating. They slowly raised up, and a line of chained men in worn and soiled sailor’s clothing were marched out, their hands bound behind their backs. At the forefront was a tall and proud man in black leather trousers and a blue vest that still gleamed under the harsh yellow electric lights with its natural color. He stood erect and unflinching as the people around Marco hurled insults, epithets, and rotten produce down at him. By the color of his hair, Marco at last realized who Dyne was. This was Vyse’s father, weathered by hard years, but unflinching in the face of his death.

They were stopped before the wooden platform erected near the center of the arena, where the helmeted executioner waited beside the chopping block with his wicked, long-handled axe. The boos were deafening as Captain Dyne was leg up onto the platform and forced to his knees.

The orator gestured to the crowd for silence as Dyne stared at the grooved wooden block where his neck would soon lay. It took some time before the noise dwindled enough for anything to be heard.

 **_“Does the condemned have anything to say in his final moments?”_ ** The orator bellowed, using the echo of the arena to be heard by all. **_“Beg for forgiveness and you shall receive the mercy of Valua, and have your life spared and spent in servitude working in the moonstone processing plants.”_ **

Marco shook his head. The processing plants were as good as a death sentence anyways; they had nothing in the way of safety, and the harsh chemicals the Valuans used were poisonous. There were plenty of people in the Lower City who had once worked in those factories. None of them had come out of it without scarred lungs or blinded eyes or terrible burns...and the unluckiest ones were the workers whose minds had been taken from them. “Moonstone madness”, they called it.

This was it then. He chuffed once and smiled grimly. For all of his talk about saving his friends, his father, Vyse was nowhere to be seen. Marco looked to the large sewer grate at the center of the arena, set there so blood could be washed away. The older boy had been all talk after all.

Marco blinked, and looked again.

 

The sewer grate had moved...just a little bit. If he hadn’t been staring right at it, he would have missed it completely. Marco opened his mouth and a strangled noise got caught in his throat.

Unaware of the events playing out behind him, Captain Dyne lifted his head up from the block and glowered at the audience. “BLUE ROGUES FLY **FREE!”** He yelled in defiance.

 

As though it were a signal, a figure in gleaming blue came running out into the arena, swords drawn. Before anyone could react, he had gutted the guard over Captain Dyne and kicked him away…

The audience, already quiet, fell into stunned silence…

And the world _snapped_ back into movement as the rest of the captive Blue Rogues quickly kicked out at the rest of the guards, then ran back towards a screaming girl with red hair by the sewer grate, urging them forward. An old man lurched up out of the sewers at last, and as each of the air pirates reached the girl, her bladed boomerang sliced out, cutting away their bonds. Captain Dyne was the last to reach Aika, and with a grin and a wink once his hands were free, he descended down below.

The executioner sliced out with his weapon, throwing a sickle of pure energy out that cut off Vyse’s retreat below. Within seconds, the Blue Rogue was joined by his comrade and the old man, and the rest of the guards formed up around the executioner.

The crowd roared, but this time…

They were _cheering for Vyse._ Urging him to kick the Valuan’s asses, to cut that bloody executioner’s head clean off _his_ shoulders. The arena orator let out an undignified squeal of panic and went running for safety, and the battle was joined.

Marco stared at the fight for only a few seconds, long enough to see that Vyse was grinning like a man possessed. Like he already knew the outcome.

Which, Marco supposed, Vyse did. Because Marco knew what would happen as well.

 

He turned and went racing through the crowds, searching his mind-map for the nearest sewer entrance.

Vyse had told him he was going to see something interesting, and he’d delivered. Marco didn’t like being in anybody’s debt. Luckily, he knew how to clear this one.

 

***

 

By the time that the other Blue Rogues made their way to a familiar bend in the catacombs, Marco was already waiting for them, opening up a secret passage and urging them through. He lingered by the open stone doorway for Vyse, Aika, and the grumpy old man who had gone with them, and shouted for them to hurry up when they finally appeared above, running down the slope of the storm drain.

“Come on, this way!” Marco hissed, already hearing the shouts of Valuan guards from behind them. Not one to pass up an escape, the two Blue Rogues and the grumpy prosthetic-wearing captain turned towards him, though Vyse still had his eyes narrowed. Marco looked up at the ceiling. “Relax, your dad and his crew are waiting for us. Now come on, we’ve got to close this passage up! Get inside already!”

They dashed through, and Vyse and Drachma quickly worked the mechanism, sliding the stone wall back into place, making the secret passage vanish from sight. They lingered in the darkness, breathing as shallowly as they could while the noise of the pursuing guards increased to a fever pitch...and then faded away, as they turned the corner along their supposed route, further into the depths of the sewers.

“How did you…” Vyse finally started, when it was safe to talk again. Marco just grinned at him.

“I told you. I _live_ down here. I know these old catacombs better than anyone alive. From where I’ve got your people waiting, you could make it back to the docks easy.”

“What about the palace? Upper Valua?”

“What?” Marco frowned. “Why would you want to do that? You need to get back to your ship and make a break for it while you can!”

Vyse shared a look with Fina and shook his head. “Later. Come on, we’ve kept my dad waiting long enough.”

There were laughs, hugs, and backslaps all around the Blue Rogues as they reunited, and after that was done, Captain Dyne just stood there and smiled at his son. “You had me worried for a bit there, Vyse. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”

“Well, you know me, captain. I had to make a dramatic entrance.” Vyse chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head awkwardly. Marco looked between the two of them, amazed that the bold young man who’d stormed the Valuan Coliseum and fought against impossible odds could even be embarrassed.

“I’m proud of you, boy.” Dyne said, setting a hand on Vyse’s shoulder. He looked around. “And you’ve made some interesting friends.” He held out a hand towards the old man. “Dyne, former captain of the _Albatross_.”

After a slight delay, the old man returned the left-handed handshake. “Drachma. Captain of the _Little Jack_. Your boy and his girlfriend here were pretty damn insistent on making it here to save your asses.”

“Girlfriend?” Dyne questioned, glancing towards Aika with a raised eyebrow. Marco looked between them, because that had been his guess as well, but he was startled to see Vyse looking like an animal caught in a spotlight, while Aika went red from her knees to her forehead, sputtering.

“I am _not_ his girlfriend!”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” They stammered, mirroring each other. Dyne just ended up laughing his head off even more, and looked back to Drachma.

“Well. Captain Drachma, do you think we could impose on your good will a little further, and charter a return voyage to our home?”

“Aye, I s’pose.” Drachma drawled, uncaring as Vyse and Aika struggled to get themselves back under control. “I came here to get a new harpoon cannon installed on the ship. They should be done by now, but if we’re going to get you all out of here, we need to hurry.”

“Where’s Fina?” Vyse suddenly cut in with a frown. “They captured her the same time as you, dad.”

Dyne shook his head. “They took her to the Upper City, to the palace. The Admiralty and the queen wanted her for their own reasons.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.” Vyse declared, looking over to Aika with his familiar, determined glare back in place. “Blue Rogues leave nobody behind. Right, dad?”

“When we’re on board a ship or on a mission, boy, it’s captain! I’ve told you that!” Dyne tried to correct him, but sighed and let it go. “I liked her, too, Vyse, but…”

“Captain.” Vyse stared at his father, and the tension between them made everyone in the dimly lit catacomb alcove go still. “Either the Code applies, no matter what, or we throw it all away. What’s it going to be?”

Marco knew that there was something important about that moment, but he was too young to know what it was exactly. He just knew that whatever it was, Vyse ended up winning it. His father looked away with a bittersweet smile.

“The unwritten rule.” Dyne said quietly. “We never do things the easy way.”

“No.” Vyse agreed. “But we do them anyways.” He looked over to Drachma. “Captain Drachma. Take my father and the rest of the _Albatross_ crew to the _Little Jack_ and get yourself launched. Once you’re airborne, come looking for us in the Upper City. Aika and I will have Marco show us how to get there, and then we’ll rescue Fina, one way or another. We’ll need you to pull our fat from the fire afterwards.”

“It’s a poorly planned escape, boy.” Drachma complained. “Who’s to say that you won’t end up captured and killed yourselves?”

Vyse chuckled, and a shadow of something grim passed over his face for just an instant before he shrugged it off. “We’ve gotten this far, haven’t we?” He extended a hand out to Captain Dyne. “Good luck. Give Drachma all the help you can. Aika and I will see you on the other side.”

Dyne pushed his son’s hand away and pulled him in for a tight hug. “You come back alive, son, and bring the girls back with you.”

“You’ve got it.” Vyse said, hugging him back. They held it for a while longer, then Vyse turned to Marco. “Okay, kid. Directions. Where are they going, and where are we going?”

 

Marco did his best to not lose it in front of them all, but the sight of such warmth and familial love was chipping away at the hardened wall he’d built up over the years.

“I...Yes. This way.” He settled for numb words and a blank expression, doing his best not to look at them.

They were full of hope, and life, and courage, all the things that had been ground out and stampeded over in Valua. It hurt to think he’d forgotten what that was like.

 

***

 

He shouldn’t have followed Vyse. He should have just sent them all on their way, then put them out of his mind. But there was a lingering ache in his chest, a bitter taste in his mouth, and salty water tracking through the grime on his face.

Marco’s feet moved on their own after his tears broke him, and it took him almost no time at all to catch up to the brown-haired pirate and his red-headed accomplice. He was breathing hard at the end, and caught them right at the bottom of a ladder that led up to the streets of Upper Valua. Panic had driven him the last hundred yards, because he knew better than most what was waiting for them up there.

 

Vyse stared back at him, waiting expectantly as Marco panted for air. “You...you can’t go up there.” He begged Vyse. “Please.”

“I have to, Marco.”

“No, you can’t!” Marco yelled at him. “That’s what my parents did, you idiot! They tried to escape Valua, and they were _killed_. I can’t stand to watch you go like they did! Nobody can get past the Grand Fortress. It’s impossible!”

There was shock on Vyse’s face as he at last learned why Marco was so hard-hearted, but it faded quickly. The Blue Rogue shook his head, determination taking hold once more.

“Impossible is just a word to make people feel better about themselves when they quit.” He told Marco. “When somebody tells me something’s impossible, it makes me want to prove them wrong. What would have happened if the first sailors had listened to the people who said they were crazy for sailing away from the safe shores of their floating islands? If they’d listened to the people who said it was impossible? They would have never sailed off to other lands, and the world would be so much smaller.”

Marco snuffled a bit. “Are all sailors as crazy as you, or is it just an air pirate thing?”

“We’re Blue Rogues, Marco.” Vyse corrected him warmly. “Being crazy helps.”

 

Marco laughed a little at that, and wiped his nose. “You’d better not die then.”

“I’m not planning on it. There’s too much of a world for me left to see yet.”

“Good.” Marco bit his lip. “Vyse? Do...do you think I could be a sailor?”

Vyse grinned at him, threw him a thumbs up. “Absolutely. And when you do, Marco, I’ll be waiting out there for you...in those wide open skies.” Marco returned the gesture, thought about saying something else, but decided he didn’t need to. Everything important had been said already, and he was smiling.

“Vyse, come on!” Aika hissed, already halfway up the ladder. “We’ve got to move!”

Vyse nodded, and started up after her, sparing Marco one last glance at the top of the shaft before stepping out into the world above. The manhole cover slid into place soon after, leaving Marco alone in the solitude of the sewers and catacombs once more.

He turned around and headed back the way he’d come wearing an unbreakable smile. He’d have to spend more time hanging around the docks after this, just to keep tabs on the rumors.

He had a name to listen for now...And something to be hopeful for.


	5. I Never Expected To Have Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aika and Vyse rescue Fina from an uncertain fate, and become living legends...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Five: I Never Expected to Have Friends**

* * *

 

 

Her name was Fina. She was a descendant of the Silver Civilization, and she had come to the skies of Arcadia to locate all the Moon Crystals.

The Valuans had somehow _known_ all of this. They had _known_ where she would be, what her mission was, and had decided to suborn her mission to their own ends...which, to her grief, was the very thing she had been sent to prevent in the first place. The power of the Moon Crystals had led to the Rains of Destruction thousands of years before, a planet-wide cataclysm.

Standing there in the throne room of Empress Teodora, a smug and vain woman who understood _nothing_ of the responsibility of such terrifying power, Fina could have crumpled in despair.

 _Do you primitive_ **_idiots_ ** _even care about the danger you’re threatening to unleash?!_ She so desperately wanted to scream at them. She didn’t, if only because she had seen the evil in their hearts, the ease by which they fell into the old and dangerous philosophy of ‘might makes right’. They might torture her just for the sick pleasure of it. So she tried a more diplomatic tack...and was immediately disgusted with the result of it. How easily this old woman brushed aside the very real dangers. Who better to wield such power than the most powerful empire in the world, she boasted. Only the Empress’s son tried to argue against it, but the youth who was older than her, but younger than every other authority in the room, was quickly shut down. The one voice of moderation, of tolerance, of anything less than outright aggression, had been silenced.

And that was when something inside of Fina finally _snapped_.

 

“I will never help you!” She glared up at the pompous woman in purple up on her meaningless throne, letting her grief and her helplessness fuel her anger. “I would sooner _die_ than help you to ruin this world!”

The Empress, predictably, lost her shit at that, and one of the guards in the throne room moved behind Fina and used the pole end of his weapon to knock her in the back of the head. She let out a cry and crumpled to the floor, dark spots lingering in her vision, groaning.

She thought she heard the stiff and ominous looking Admiral Galcian say something more, and the Silvite struggled to listen in.

He was going to take her to the Grand Fortress, that towering wall of reinforced stone and cannonworks which stood at the gates to the Valuan capital, where he would... _gain her assistance._ Fina shivered at that. She had been in this man’s presence ever since she and the crew of the _Albatross_ had been pulled away from the burning ruins of Pirate’s Isle. In that time, she had learned everything she needed to about Galcian. He was cold, he was ruthless, and he let nothing stand between him and his objectives. If the Blue Rogues hadn’t surrendered, he would have destroyed the entire island to get to her.

She knew that worse awaited her after the transfer. Once she was beyond all help. Once she was completely in his power.

It was far too easy to dwell on that. Too easy to realize that she was beyond anybody’s reach even now. Who could save her? Who could help her? Her coming to Arcadia had been a last, desperate act taken by the Elders, after their last agent had disappeared.

If only they had known just how unprepared she was for this. For the Valuans. If only Ramirez…

“There is one thing, Empress. My Vice Admiral, Ramirez, has…”

 

The pain and the bruise on the back of Fina’s skull was forgotten in a moment. Her eyes went wide, the gasp was unconsciously given. _Ramirez? No. No, it couldn’t be...not my Ramirez!_

 

A promotion, it seemed, was coming for Galcian’s right-hand man. The troopers in the throne room hauled her up to her feet and forced her forwards, to a rapidly bitter future.

As she passed Galcian, Fina couldn’t help but look up at him, searching the pepper-gray haired man in his wide cloak for something more. His Vice Admiral....it couldn’t really be…

Galcian met her gaze, and the cold, implacably emotionless mask he had worn for the duration of the voyage to Valua slipped for just a few instants.

He _smiled_ , smiled as if sensing her wonder, and when it became more and more predatory as the moments ticked by, he slightly inclined his head.

As if nodding at her.

 

The sob Fina unleashed should have broken every heart in the room with its anguish…

But the hearts of the Valuans were empty, and hard as stone.

 

***

 

They had dragged her away from the palace and to a train station close by, then loaded her on with an armed escort at the forward-most cabin. Everyone else on board had been gruffly told to get off, as the train was being redirected to the Grand Fortress without any stops. Aside from making sure she didn’t do anything to make the rude soldiers nudge her along any faster, she let it all slide by.

_Ramirez._

She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. A part of her just wanted to dismiss Galcian’s smirk and nod as just a military officer grandstanding in his success. It was what she preferred, given the choice.

But...nothing else made as much sense, on thinking it all through. Who else could have told the Valuans how to find her? What she was, where she came from? Who else could have told them about the Moon Crystals?

And then, there came a noise in the cabin behind hers. Shouting. The explosion of a wild spell, screams of battle and of the pain it caused. The guards in her boxcar turned at the noise, one moved to investigate…

He got to within a foot of the door before it suddenly slammed inwards, smashing him in his helmeted face and knocking him to the floor. Fina gasped as two people she thought she would never see again came racing in, swords and bladed boomerang drawn.

“Hands off the girl, Valuan scum!” Vyse shouted. The guards shoved Fina back and charged for them, but Aika and Vyse were running strong on adrenaline, and tackled into them with practiced moves. Aika darted in first, sweeping their legs, then Vyse came in, slashing at them.

“Fina, duck!” Aika shouted, reaching into her belt pouch and pulling out a glowing stone. She hurled it at the Valuans they had dashed around, and the crystal exploded into brilliant light, filling the cabin with heat and noise that blew out every window. Vyse came down, leaping onto both of them and crushing them to the floor of the cabin, and when they pulled themselves out of the heap, Fina could only stare at the devastation of the magical grenade. The Valuans who had been her guards were all dead, sporting terrible burns on the visible parts of their body.

“Pyri crystals. Throw in case of emergencies.” Aika snorted, pulling Fina back up to her feet. The Silvite girl yelped a bit at the rough handling, still in shock at the violence she’d witnessed. “You all right, Fina?”

“I...you...but _how…_ ” Fina stammered, her eyes darting between the two. _And why? Why would you come here, inside the stronghold of your enemy?_

“Long story.” Vyse dismissed her questions, looking fatigued, but flushed with color and very alive. “Short version? Blue Rogues leave nobody behind. Not our families, and not you.”

“But…” She swallowed.

“Later!” Aika said, already reaching for the door to the next cabin ahead of them. “We need to move, before…”

The door that they’d smashed open swung in a second time, and the ominous presence of Galcian, now bearing a thick wedged sword, walked into the train’s compartment.

“Before _I_ appear, pirate wench?” Galcian proposed, his words disdainful, but his face calm as a still pond. “You two certainly are a handful, but the chase is over.” He pointed with his sword at them. “Surrender the girl, and I will spare your lives.”

Fina bit her lip, and looked between Aika and Vyse’s back. The Blue Rogue brandishing the twin cutlasses didn’t look back at her, even when a pair of Valuan soldiers came into the cabin, standing behind Galcian to reinforce him. Aika bit her lip and reached into her pouch, pulling out another crystal containing explosive red magic. Galcian just raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Really? A Pyri grenade? _That’s_ your best move?” Galcian’s grip on the hilt of his blade tightened enough to make the metal groan. “Put it away, or I kill you where you stand.”

Aika looked ready to snap something back at him, but Vyse cut her off.

“Aika.” The Blue Rogue said, his voice suddenly calm and steady. “Throw it out the window. That won’t work with this one.”

“But, Vyse!”

“Aika.” Vyse repeated. “Enough. Throw it. Out. The. Window.”

“...Aye-aye.” The fiery redhead finally conceded, doing as she was ordered. The crystal, already glowing in her hand after being fed a charge, gleamed brighter as she chucked it out the broken out window next to her. It detonated outside, in a loud and brilliant burst that harmed nothing.

“So you do have some brains, boy.” Galcian said. “Now be reasonable. She’s just one girl. What value is that, compared to your life? Your freedom?”

“I am _never_ handing Fina over to you.” Vyse countered, his voice heated and passionate. “I don’t care who you are, or how powerful you are. You aren’t taking her, you aren’t taking us, and you’re Not. Winning. Not today!”

Fina felt her heart stutter at the power of his words. They knew nothing about her. _Nothing_.

Who was this man, to race into certain death for her sake? Who was the wild woman who was forever at his side? She wanted to collapse for the relief of it. But then, the weight of their situation took hold. They were trapped, and Galcian...Galcian was a _monster._ Vyse couldn’t hope to best him in combat.

And Galcian knew it, because that barely interested smirk he wore only deepened, his blade lowered from a point to a low ready position.

“You are brave, air pirate.” Galcian said to Vyse, adopting a pose for a quick strike meant to end a battle. “Brave, but ultimately foolish. Do you really think you could defeat me?”

“Honestly?” Vyse said, taking a few steps back and rolling his head around on his shoulders. He wiggled his arms and his swords out, loosening his limbs. “Not a chance in hell.”

“And yet you insist on this act of suicide.”

“Suicide?” Vyse exclaimed, sounding surprised. He looked back over his shoulder to Aika, and then to Fina, giving them each a smile and a wink.

Then Fina heard something else, fast covering up the noise of the train as it rattled along the electrified rail. She looked out the broken windows to the source, and there, saw an unfamiliar ship painted green and yellow...and its open gunports, where the cannons were rolled into position.

“No, this isn’t an act of suicide.” Vyse went on nonchalantly, causing Galcian to blink. “I’m just buying some time.”

Galcian’s mouth opened to voice his next question, but that was when he finally heard the noise from outside the train as well. And for the first time since she had met the man, Fina saw Galcian gawk in surprise.

“Get DOWN!” Vyse yelled, stowing his blades and leaping for the girls again.

The airship outside of the train fired at the cabin, blasting a massive hole dead center in its side. The shots, solid balls not meant to explode and fragment, severed the compartment clean in half from ceiling to the floorboards.

 

The engine, the two cabins, and the front half of the broken compartment that Vyse, Aika, and Fina were on roared on down the tracks. The rear half of the shattered cabin, including Galcian, his soldiers, and the rest of the train, slowly lost speed and fell behind.

Vyse pulled himself back up, hissing a little. “Damn, think I took some shrapnel there…”

“Gee, you think?” Aika snarked at him. “Vyse, how the hell did…” She stopped talking as she pulled herself up, blinking a few times. “The Pyri Crystal. You told me…”

“To throw it out.” Vyse chuckled, reaching a hand down towards Fina. “Where it exploded...and signaled the _Little Jack._ ”

“Vyse, anyone ever tell you just how crazy you are?” Aika asked him despairingly.

“Only you. Every day.” He grinned, not the least bit apologetic for it. “You okay, Fina?”

“I’m unharmed.” Fina swallowed, staring up into his eyes as he tugged her off of the floor again. “Why did you come back for me? You know nothing about me.”

“I know that I wouldn’t leave anybody to the Valuan’s tender mercies if I could help it.” Vyse replied. He looked back over his shoulder to the fading train section behind them, where Galcian stared at them with the promise of death in his eyes. “I know there’s more about you than you were willing to tell us, and I know it’s dangerous. Dangerous enough the Valuans would send _Galcian_ after you.” He looked back at her, and shrugged. “But that can wait. We still have to get _out of here_ in one piece.”

“Which isn’t going to be easy, you know.” Aika reminded him, glancing over to Fina with a hint of reproachment. The _Little Jack_ pulled in close, and a rope ladder was thrown over the side down towards them. “Escaping the Grand Fortress? It’s never been done. Marco had that much right.”

“We never do things the easy way.” Vyse laughed, unmoved in the face of certain death. He took hold of the ladder and gestured for the two girls to go up first. “Come on, Fina. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of these black, cloudy skies.”

So was she, Fina decided. In that moment, his invitation to run away meant more to her than he could have known. Maybe she’d be able to show him some day, if they did get away from Valua.

Fina climbed the ladder, and changed her destiny.

 

***

 

_The Grand Fortress_

_Inner Gates_

 

Of course, there was still the small matter of getting past the rest of the Valuan defenses. The speed of their escape and the chaos left in their wake had given them some advantages, but there was still one Valuan warship sitting at station by the massive gateway...and the Grand Fortress was already turning to close them in.

“They sent word on ahead.” Dyne said, after a moment to reflect on it.

“Aye, did you think they wouldn’t?” Drachma asked him.

“We’ll have to disable them first, or else we’ll never reach the door.” Vyse declared, having taken position at the ship’s wheel. The vessel was primitive, but Fina could tell that its original construction had been improved on. “Captain Dyne, we could use your men down below manning the cannons. I think it’s time to see if this tough little ship has what it takes to be a blockade runner.”

“We’re on it!” Dyne wasted no time in shouting out orders to the rescued crewmembers of the _Albatross_ , waiting at the stairs that led belowdecks. “You heard my son, boys! Ready the cannons and prepare for combat!”

“You’ve got the helm, boy.” Drachma rumbled. “Now seems as good a time as any to test out the new Harpoon Cannon.”

Fina reacted the same as Vyse and Aika did, looking out to the nose of the _Little Jack_ where a monstrously sized extension of shaped and tempered steel plated with brass had been placed. In spite of its size, it didn’t seem to unbalance or make the small ship look garish. In fact, it was more like the ship had been waiting all of its life for the add-on.

Fina narrowed her eyes as she evaluated the construction. “Wait…” She leaned forward, sizing up just how _unusual_ the construction actually was. The Harpoon Cannon wasn’t just reinforced metal, no. In fact, it seemed as though the outer surface was interlaced with…

“Your Harpoon has a sequential Moonstone energy lattice built into it.” Fina declared, looking at Captain Drachma. “And it was not part of the original construction.”

 

The old man turned to look at her and raised his left eyebrow. “You noticed. Know a thing or two about weapons design, do ye, girl?”

Fina blinked and looked away, blushing a bit. “Some.” She conceded.

“A Moonstone _what?_ ” Vyse repeated. He spun the wheel and narrowed their silhouette as the Valuan frigate readied its cannons and tool aim. “Captain, mind telling me what that means?”

“Oh, I think your blonde friend can do a better job of it than I can.” Drachma drawled, cocking his human hand at his waist and giving Fina the floor.

The Silvite swallowed once, keenly aware of the interested eyes on her and shook her head. “It… the Harpoon can be charged with spiritual energy. Just like when you cast a spell. It reinforces the harpoon for added durability, and should also create an aura around the whole of the projectile that will increase the effectiveness of any attack by a factor of...around ten?” Fina looked to Drachma for clarification, and received an unusually warm smile from the gruff old fellow and a single, sharp nod of his head.

“How did you know that it wasn’t standard issue?” Drachma pressed her gently. Fina looked away, and Drachma chuffed. “Lass, you’re not in trouble. I’m just curious.”

“I…” Fina exhaled. “The Valuan ships I saw had nothing like this. They wouldn’t have to. They build their ships with so many guns, it’s unnecessary.” She looked up at the captain. “You modified the Harpoon Cannon for something else, though. If my guess is right...it will tear through the hull of that warship like tissue paper.”

 

Drachma chuckled darkly. “Well, Vyse, seems you’re not as useless as I thought. You went and rescued a girl with brains. Unlike the other one.”

“HEY!” Aika shouted, stomping her boot into the deck. “I’m getting sick and tired of being dumped on!”

“You’re angry? Good.” Drachma grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her off to the side of the room. “Then you can help me charge the cannon. It collects a charge naturally, but there’s a moonstone access line to the capacitor that you and I have business with. We need to get it ready to fire as soon as possible.” He looked back to Vyse and Fina. “As for you, girl, stay with the ‘hero’ there, keep him from doing anything completely irresponsible with my ship.”

 

Still blushing from all the attention that had been directed towards her, Fina nodded mutely and stayed close to Vyse.

The fight was quick, brutal, and over incredibly fast. Against a ship with vastly more cannons, Vyse sailed the _Little Jack’s_ heart out, wielding its speed and smaller size to great effect. The tight flying kept the Valuan ship from wielding its full broadsides, and the crew of the _Albatross_ fired back and dealt with the damage and repairs when they happened. All the while, Drachma and Aika channeled their own power through the ship’s moonstone feeder line, sacrificing their own spellcasting potential to build up the main cannon’s power. When Drachma shouted out that the charge was ready, Vyse pulled in tight behind the unaware Valuan frigate and punched the firing toggle set up beside the helm.

The Harpoon Cannon began to glow with wild orange light as the projectile began to rotate, slowly at first, and then as quickly as any drill. The _Little Jack_ shuddered as the shot finally launched, a rocket on a long, reinforced steel and moonstone tether…

And the glowing harpoon passed through the frigate from stem to stern, rocking it with explosions and tearing it apart. Still glowing, the harpoon retracted back on its rope, dealing even more damage.

The _Little Jack_ , the harpoon reset back on the bow, turned and screamed towards the closing doors of the Grand Fortress while the destroyed Valuan warship collapsed down towards the floor of the long tunnel through the rock.

 

Fina held her breath the same as everyone else, and found herself clutching onto Vyse’s shoulder. She didn’t dare touch his arms, as rigid as they were guiding the vessel towards the still narrowing gap. He clenched his teeth, not looking anywhere else but to their escape, whatever remark he made under his breath drowned out by the shouts of the other Blue Rogues as they cheered him and the _Little Jack_ forwards.

 

By the narrowest of margins, scraping paint off the side of the hull as they cleared it, Vyse sailed the _Little Jack_ out past the gates of the Grand Fortress. Chants for success became cheers of victory, with Aika racing over and glomping onto Vyse’s other side hard, almost jostling him clear of the wheel.

“We made it! We made it, Vyse!” The redhead cheered.

Dyne came up from belowdecks, sweaty but beaming with pride. “You realize son, you’re the first person to ever escape from the Grand Fortress now? That’s going to be a hard act for the rest of us to follow.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Vyse chuckled, freeing his arm and shoulder from both Aika and Fina before giving each of them his best grin. “For right now, though, we’d better get the heck out of here. Captain Dyne, where are we headed?”

“Home.” Captain Dyne ordered, giving Captain Drachma just enough of a questioning look to get a nod in reply. “Just long enough to let everyone know we’re alive...and to take what we’ll need before we head out. The Valuans will be looking for us after this mess, and we can’t expose our families to them a second time. But we’ve got places to hide where they won’t be looking.”

Fina wanted to reach for Vyse again, but the words of the young man’s father were terrible things, plucking away at her. Even in victory, they were fearful...they had a reason to be.

But she could give them relief and resolution. It would just mean doing the unthinkable...trusting them with the truth.

The words of the Elders rang in her head, to trust no one, to tell no one. Their pride and joy, the most promising of the pair of their generation, had gone down and failed, and they could not risk failing again.

But the Valuans already knew why she had come. They knew more than anybody should have...and though Fina refused to give voice to the only logical reason why…

She searched the confident face of Vyse, the protective posture of his father, the vivacious and ebullient nature of Aika.

These Blue Rogues had come into hell, had stayed there longer...for her.

If she could not trust Vyse and Aika, then her quest was doomed to fail. She could not do it alone. Would they say yes, if they knew?

_They’ll never get the chance if you hold to this useless silence._

 

So Fina coughed, raised a hand for their attention, and looked to Captain Dyne, leader of the Blue Rogues. “They won’t come for you.” She told him, and as the older man’s gaze sharpened, she looked away, seeking comfort in the warmer, though no less puzzled eyes of Vyse instead. “They were after me. Because of what I know, and what I came here to do.”

 

“And what would that be?” Dyne asked, softly and carefully.

Fina closed her eyes. “I will tell you the truth...once we reach your home. Because once I do, I will then ask for your help. And then, regardless of your answer, I’ll have to leave. The only way your families will be safe is when the Valuans know I am no longer in your company. And the only way the world will be safe is if the Valuans _never_ get their hands on me, and I complete my mission.”

“Then I’m in.” Vyse said. The suddenness of it made Fina snap her head up in disbelief.

“Wuh...what? But I...I haven’t even…”

“You’re going to tell us what’s going on? Great.” Vyse reassured her. “But I don’t need to know anything else to know that you’re going to need help with whatever’s going on. And anything that pisses the Valuans off? I’m always up for it.” Without looking, he grabbed hold of Aika’s arm and pulled his friend and shipmate in next to him. Aika let out a squeak of protest at first, but fell into a blushing silence as his arm came around her midsection to hold her close. “And so is Aika. We’re your friends, and we don’t leave friends hanging.”

Fina could feel her eyes burn as they started to mist up, and she wiped at them even as she let out a sobbing laugh. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Vyse said, grabbing hold of her sleeve and pulling her arm in. “Right, Aika? Friends?”

“Uh...oh, fine, Vyse.” The redhead finally got out with another grumble, mustering an uneasy grin as she clasped Fina’s hand in her own. “Friends.”

“I never expected to have friends.” Fina confessed. “I had thought I was all alone in this.”

“You’re never alone, Fina.” Aika said, finally saying something comforting as she composed herself.

“Not anymore.” Vyse added.

“No.” Fina smiled at them, the tears fast fading and her heart swelling with joy, that out of such despair, she could find such happiness and triumph. “Not anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The escape from Valua is epic enough in its own right...
> 
> But since this is Vyse, and this is my story, you'll forgive me if I like to make his escape a little more awesome.
> 
> As for Fina? Of COURSE a girl from a hyper-advanced civilization is going to have more than a working knowledge of moonstone-based physics and weaponry.


	6. Don't Call Me Useless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aika puts Fina through her paces and tensions rise...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Six: Don’t Call Me Useless**

* * *

 

_Mid-Ocean_

_Pirate Isle_

 

Of course, there was one thing that both Vyse and Dyne insisted on doing before the _Little Jack_ departed Pirate Isle. Given the gravity of the news Fina had dropped on them, about Moon Crystals and the ancient super weapons, or ‘Gigas’ that they could control, it was more appropriate than ever. That was how they found themselves in the underground base of the island, with the _Little Jack_ floating at anchor in a docking port meant for a ship easily twice its size, with Vyse kneeling in front of his father and the rest of his father’s crew, while Aika and Fina stood back beside his mother, watching silently.

“From this day forth, I acknowledge my son, Vyse the Determined, as a man.” Dyne intoned, steady and solemn. “He has beaten challenges that any other man would have balked at, and emerged victorious, and through his actions, has saved my life and the lives of my crew in the face of a superior enemy. Now he sails towards a new horizon, and seeks the blessings of the Moons as he takes the Oath of the Blue Rogues. Are there any here who would speak against him receiving it?”

Vyse kept his head bowed, not because he had to, but because it felt right. All of his life he had worked towards this moment, and now it had come. He was a man in his father’s eyes at last...and if nobody spoke against it, he would be a fully-fledged Blue Rogue Captain in his own right.

Nobody spoke against it. Nobody could, not here, and not after what he had done to prove himself worthy of the honor. The responsibility.

Dyne let out a soft grunt. “Hearing no voice of dissent, let us continue. Who would stand by this man, and support him as a Captain of the Blue Rogues?”

“I do.” Aika answered his father, and he heard the gentle tapping of her boots against the wooden planks of the docks. There was no hesitation in her voice, and Vyse found himself smiling in spite of himself.

Forever by his side, forever his friend and closest ally. Forever bright and cheerful in public, a fiery aggressor to her enemies, and rarely soft and demure.

“Aika of the Blue Rogues. You will vouch for his character?” Dyne continued. “You will stand by his side, supporting your Captain, regardless of the storms of life that he will weather?”

“I will.” Aika replied, and set a hand down on Vyse’s shoulder. He felt his back go a little straighter at it.

“Then Vyse, son of Dyne, speak the Oath of The Blue Rogues, and assume the mantle.”

Vyse drew in a breath, holding it close as the words buzzed in his brain. He knew them as well as any other Blue Rogue. Better, even, for he was a captain’s son, and had spent his life in that shadow, forever trying to reach outside of it.

They had never meant as much as they did now, and they had never been so hard to say.

 

“Blue Rogues leave nobody behind.” He began, giving each word the weight it deserved. “Blue Rogues never back down from a greater danger. Blue Rogues always help out those in need. Blue Rogues never give up.”

Vyse lifted his head up, and met his father’s eyes. In that moment, he felt stronger than he ever had, and he wondered if his father could sense the steel in his gaze. “And Blue Rogues Fly Free.”

He expected the response, but the shout from every other crew member in the open space, breaking the silence completely, still made him jump. **_“Blue Rogues Fly FREE!”_ **

Dyne finally smiled. “Stand, Vyse...a _Captain_ of the Blue Rogues.” The cheers after that were deafening, and Vyse allowed himself to be pulled into a strangling pile of a hug between Aika and his mother. His dad just stood back with his arms folded, and Fina…

Vyse blinked, catching her fiddling with her sleeve a little bit and looking away as she bit her lip. Still adjusting to everything.

“So!” Drachma shouted from the deck of the _Little Jack_ , pulling his attention away from the Silvite girl. “Now that your little ceremony’s done, we’d best be shoving off. Staying put is bad for our health right now, boy, and I’m still captain of the _Little Jack_ , so don’t be getting a swelled head.” Vyse rolled his eyes and nodded, but was reassured a little bit when his father pulled him from the swarm of women.

“You don’t need a ship to be a captain, son.” Dyne told him. “You just have to _lead_. Understand?”

Vyse thought about that for a while, then chuckled. “Seems I’ve been ready for a while, then.”

Dyne smirked. “I suppose you have.” He stepped away and raised his voice. “Now, then. You’re provisioned?”

“Yes, Captain Dyne!” Aika snapped to. “We finished loading up our supplies right before you showed up for the ceremony!”

“At ease, Aika.” Dyne chuckled. “I’m not your captain anymore, remember?” Vyse looked over to his friend and grinned, and Aika’s cheeks pinked before she looked away and nodded once. Vyse’s mother hugged her son one last time and kissed his cheek.

“You look after those girls now, you hear me?” She told her only child.

“Of course I will.” Vyse agreed happily.

“And don’t string them along.” She went on, frowning just a little. “All right?”

Vyse, confused as to her meaning, blinked. She must have seen his confusion, because she smiled sadly and shrugged. “It’s just something to think about, all right? A woman’s heart is more fragile than you know.”

“Um. Okay?” Vyse said uneasily. What was she trying to say? There were times his mother flat-out confused him, and this was apparently one of them.

“BOY!” Drachma bellowed again. “We’re casting off! Heave to and get on board if you’re coming!”

“Sure, Drachma!” Vyse shouted back. He turned back to look at Aika and Fina. “Get on board, girls. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

He hugged his mother one last time, shook his father’s hand, and nodded to the rest of the crew who waved them off. He ran up the gangplank to the _Little Jack_ and pulled it up and away. As soon as Aika retrieved the mooring lines, the _Little Jack_ started to reverse itself.

The massive chains that controlled the hidden doorway to the underground base creaked as they were unwound, and the way out revealed itself. Sunlight streamed into the base, casting everything into sharp relief as they turned around and pulled away.

Vyse tried to memorize how it all looked, both the hidden base and the island itself as they soared off. He stood alone at the rail while Drachma managed the helm, and was there in silence for what seemed like forever before Fina and Aika joined him.

Fina’s strange companion, the Cupil, pulled away from her wrist and resumed its normal shape, hovering around her head without a care. The blond-haired Silvite ran a hand through her hair, sweeping back a small bit that had escaped her headdress and was blowing wild in the wind.

“It’s strange.” She finally said, her voice so soft that he was left wondering if she’d meant to say it aloud at all.

Aika, of course, dove right into it. “What is? Leaving home? A bit, I’ll admit.” The red-headed Blue Rogue looked over at Vyse and smiled at him for a moment before returning her attention to Fina. “But you did it too, right? To try and save the world?”

“That’s not what’s strange.” Fina said, her face screwed up in concentration. “Dyne, and your mother. I never had that.”

“You weren’t close to your parents?” Vyse asked, sensing how sensitive the topic was.

He wanted to kick himself after her response.

“I never knew my parents.” The Silvite said, her mind somewhere distant.

Vyse was glad that Aika took the initiative again, siding up beside the blonde and wrapping an arm around her side, hugging her gently. What could they say to that, a man whose parents still lived and a girl who had lost her own, but had been fortunate enough to have shared his after?

Vyse turned his gaze away from the receding shape of his home and looked out to the horizon. More and more, he realized just how fortunate he was. His life was proving to be the exception, and not the norm.

Foolish as it was, he made a promise to himself that he would find a way to change that.

 

***

  


There was a minor roadblock in the path of their success, but Vyse was grateful that they had discovered it early on. It seemed that the Silvites Fina hailed from were a _wildly_ different people compared to the rest of Arcadia. Concepts such as cannonballs were foreign to her, and learning that she had never had to deal with _money_ or _trade_ before... Those had all been eye-openers.

That all paled when lined up with the one small, major, _mission-threatening problem_ of Fina’s experience. Or lack of, more appropriately. Her people had sent her on a quest to retrieve the Moon Crystals and save the world…

And she didn’t have the damndest clue how to defend herself. Apparently, her companion Cupil was supposed to do all of the fighting for her. Vyse was the first to point out how ludicrous that idea was...and Aika was quick to suggest some more serious training was due. Fina had winced, but agreed when the facts were laid out in front of her.

Drachma grumbled and said he’d manage the helm while the two Blue Rogues started to work her up to snuff, so while the old man kept the ship steady, Vyse, Aika, and Fina ran wind sprints across the deck, as well as other basic exercises. The blonde was graceful, attractive, a princess plucked from her strange little world, and had next to nothing in terms of endurance. Vyse was only sweating. Her entire body was shaking by the tenth set, barely able to hold her up.

“You really ought to think about changing your clothes, _princess_.” Aika pointed out, hopping up onto a crate tied down on the deck and kicking her feet lazily. The exercise had brightened the color in the redhead’s face, and she seemed entirely too pleased at Fina’s discomfort. “Fighting in a dress? That can’t be too comfortable. I’m barely able to put up with watching you try to run in that thing.”

“This dress...is the last piece...of my people.” Fina panted, bent over slightly with her hands on her knees. “I am not giving it up.”

“I’m just saying, you nearly tripped about four times so far. And something like that can’t be too comfortable with all of the flop sweat you’ve got going on.”

“This is Silvite nanomesh fabric...with adaptive moisture-wicking layers.” Fina added, affixing Aika with a glare. “Unlike _your_ clothes, it’s odor and stain resistant.”

Vyse raised an eyebrow at that, while Aika suddenly looked just like a cat whose tail and hair was pointed upright in a show of dominance. She all but snarled in reply. “Are you saying I _smell bad?”_

“I’m saying that I could wear this dress and the bodysuit underneath it every day and still smell like silverlilies.”

“Why, you…!”

“All right, that’s enough.” Vyse finally stepped in, his hands held up and out when he moved between them. “Aika, you smell fine. But you look like you could use a drink. Why don’t you run down to the galley and get yourself one? And bring us back up some water as well? I’m going to spar with Fina for a bit.”

Hair still on end and her cheeks just a few shades lighter than her pigtails, Aika let out an angry huff and stormed past them, jostling Fina with her shoulder as she passed by. The exhausted Silvite almost fell down, but Vyse moved quickly, bracing her body with his arm. It didn’t escape his notice how soft and pleasant she felt as his forearm wrapped around her waist, and his fingers came to a stop over her stomach.

He almost missed the soft gasping _meep_ she let out, because it was nearly lost in the sound of Cupil detaching from her wrist again. She was still for about half a second before she quickly scooted away from him, and Vyse held his hands up in a peaceful gesture.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault she’s so abrasive.” Fina said, grabbing one side of the veil of her headdress and pulling it around to partially cover her face.

“She means well, believe me.” Vyse went on. “You have to understand. Your way of speaking, of acting...it’s like the sort of thing they teach nobles. It’s nothing we ever had to learn ourselves. And the things we did learn are strange to you. It’s an adjustment for us as much as it is for you.”

“Is that why she keeps on calling me _princess_?” Fina asked carefully. She had her wind back in her. Good.

“A little.” Vyse conceded. “But it’s also...um. Aika has this thing about nicknames. She gives them to the people she’s close to. My old man, for example, is the cap’n. And the huskra back at our village, the purple one? His name’s Pow, but she just calls him furball.”

“So, it’s a term of endearment, instead of an insult?”

“I...think so?” Vyse shrugged. “If she meant it as an insult, she’d come off snotty.”

Fina harrumphed, and wiped her forehead with her sleeve. “So what’s her nickname for you?”

Vyse opened his mouth to answer, paused. Frowned. Really thought about it. “I actually don’t think she ever gave me one.”

Fina blinked her soft green eyes at that. “Hm. Isn’t that interesting.” She mused, and a corner of her mouth quirked up.

Feeling distinctly uneasy at the direction of the conversation, Vyse coughed. “But she isn’t wrong. That dress of yours is very pretty, but the hem severely limits your mobility. Your legs need to have more freedom of movement for you to be able to run well. And you will have to run for your life at some point. Something as big as what we’re trying to do? I’d guarantee it.”

 

Fina cocked her head to side, considering Aika’s suggestion, now tempered with the wisdom and explanation of Vyse. “You’re certain?”

“This is coming from someone who’s spent most of his life running. At things, or away from them.” Vyse reassured her.

Fina deliberated a few more seconds, then held out her hand. “Give me one of your blades.”

“What?” Vyse blinked. Fina just stared at him, hand still outstretched. With some trepidation, Vyse unsheathed his secondary cutlass, gleaming with red light along the whole of its expanded moonstone edge, and placed it hilt-first into her grip.

She took the blade down to the side of her left hip, grabbing hold of the fabric and pulling it away from her waist.

“What are you…?!”

“This fabric is meant to self-repair.” Fina told him calmly. “If I’m to free up the hem, I need a moonstone-sourced weapon to effect the cut.”

As Vyse stared on, caught between trying to stop her or whether to avert his eyes, Fina powered up the blade with her own spiritual energy, then cut a long gash down the side of the dress. To the relief of his sensibilities, she wore form-hugging underleggings, like a thin set of pants, beneath the long skirt.

Underleggings that did nothing to hide her shapely legs. Feeling his face warming up instantly, Vyse quickly glanced skyward as she finished the cut. Fina sighed and handed him the blade back. “There, finished.”

“And...won’t it fray?” Vyse asked, taking the blade back and mustering only furtive glances until he was sure her leggings were out of immediate view. “A cut that rough?”

Fina laughed a bit at that and shook her head. “No, silly. The frayed edges will re-hem themselves in a bit. I just have to keep the edges apart while it’s effecting repairs.”

Which she did, Vyse noted, watching in amazement as the ragged ends of the now cut skirt seemed to...to _glow_ and heal after a few seconds. In less than half a minute’s time, they finished their work, and Fina released the first flap of her side-slit skirt, nodding in satisfaction.

“Wow.” Vyse finally said, amazed at how good her dress still looked after the change. “You could make a killing selling that fabric. Especially in Nasrad. They love their fabrics there. It’s one of their most popular exports.”

“Let’s save the world first, why don’t we?” Fina responded, nodding to Cupil, who chirped once and then floated down beside her hand.

Vyse drew out his other cutlass, chuckled, and beckoned for her to attack him.

 

***

 

They stopped for the night on the other side of a stone reef, making landfall next to another profitable Discovery; an enormous Silver Moonstone pit, a rich cache of undiscovered treasure which could be refined into power stones for ship power generators, or weapons augment crystals, or a hundred different other things. Drachma had taken some of the most choice pieces they could lift out by hand for himself, which would mean a detour to Sailor’s Island both for Vyse to turn in the Discovery and for Drachma to sell off the haul. Vyse wondered for a moment why nobody had ever found this place before, though on reflection, the answer was clear enough. Only the Harpoon Cannon’s ability to blast through the floating barrier of stones had allowed them access. Other ships which lacked sufficient firepower would have never even tried for it.

While Vyse and Drachma set about preparing a dinner of fire-roasted Sky Sardis and canned vegetables, Aika opted to use the downtime in a more productive manner to train their newest party member. Vyse caught the old man staring at the three of them more often, and the length of his looks indicated more than a passing interest in whether or not they were injured. He was trying to figure them out, Vyse realized after a time. Which he was fine with. He was still trying to figure out Drachma himself.

Under the barest glow of sunset remaining, and the silver moon shining high above them, Aika let out another angry grunt as she batted away Cupil, disarming Fina of both her only means of offense and defense.

“Come on!” Aika snarled, swiping her boomerang just off to the side of Fina and sending the girl sprawling backwards in a heap from the lazy slash. “Don’t just lie there, get up and _fight!_ ” Fina did, in her own fashion. She rolled over to her hands and knees, and used the position to lurch to her feet and run away from Aika. The fiery redhead chased after her, screaming like a banshee and swinging her boomerang in wide arcs that Vyse knew were meant to frighten more than cause actual injury. “What’ll you do when your little pet isn’t there to help you, huh?! You just gonna curl up and die?”

Fina yelped again as the edge of Aika’s boomerang whistled past her elbow, and brought a hand up, pointing it behind her blindly as she ran on. “Moons, give me strength!” She gasped, and fired off a tiny bolt of magical fire. Aika saw it coming and scowled, not even bothering to try and nullify it. Instead, she took it along the front edge of her boomerang, setting off a small explosion...and then charged through the smoke.

“Aika, take it easy on her!” Vyse shouted over at them, stoking the fire again. “She’s not used to this!”

“You think the _Valuans_ are going to take it easy on her? On us?!” Aika shouted back, and Vyse recoiled from the heat of it.

“Something’s got her dander up.” Drachma observed in a low drawl. Vyse looked over to the old man, slowly turning the fish on their spit, and Drachma just stared back at him from his one good eye. “D’ye suppose you can figure it out... _captain_?”

Vyse struggled to suss it out, but didn’t reach an answer quickly enough. Instead, Fina’s foot got caught on a bit of exposed rock jutting up from the ground, and she went tumbling to her hands and knees again. Aika was on her in an instant, turning her over and pinning her to the grass with her legs holding Fina’s down, her free arm pressed to the blonde’s shoulder, and her boomerang raised high for a killing blow that never came.

The two girls lay there, heaving for air, Fina terrified and Aika as mad as Vyse had ever seen her.

Aika buried her boomerang halfway into the ground beside Fina’s head and swore. “Moons! Have you _ever_ had to do anything except stand there and look pretty?! I swear, you’re more useless than I was when I was _seven!_ ”

Something in Fina seemed to snap at the insult, and her green eyes flashed with an angry, silver glow as she roared and shoved Aika off of her. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and Vyse was stuck halfway between a crouch and a full stand, frozen in place as his body and mind argued whether to intervene or stay put.

Glowing with intense silver light, Fina shoved herself up into a sitting position. “Don’t! Don’t call me **useless** !” There was killing intent in that aura, and Vyse could see Aika struggling to swallow. To _breathe_.

At the last moment, as the tension hung between them, Aika conjured up her newest skill, a short burst of reflective aura that could prevent any magic, fair or foul, from reaching her. It fought off Fina’s power long enough for the blonde girl to come back to herself, and she shoved the half-summoned spell away with a shake of her head. Cupil bobbed over next to her, having finally recovered from the abuse he’d taken.

“Don’t call me useless.” Fina repeated, though there was a tinge of sorrow there as well now. “Why, Aika? Why are you doing this?”

“You want to know why I’m so tough on you?” Aika growled out, calmer than before, but no less livid on the inside. “It’s because we’re sailing into the unknown! Because it’s us against the Valuans for the sake of the world! Because we _will_ end up getting into a fight, and I need to know that when we do, that you’ll have my back.” She jabbed a finger towards Vyse without ever looking at him. “That you’ll have his. Because if you can’t fight, if you don’t, then we all end up dead, and they win. You get me now, Princess?”

 

Fina sat there, gaping up at Aika, the both of them still breathing hard. Aika fumed for a little longer, then pulled her boomerang up out of the ground in one smooth jerk. She spun around and stormed past the men, grabbing a plate that Drachma had just finished preparing and ignoring his cry of protest.

“I’ll eat on the ship.” She growled, and stormed away.

 

Vyse finally remembered how to move, and went over to Fina, helping her up as she sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “You all right?” He asked carefully.

“She hates me.”

“No.” Vyse quickly, and forcefully, dismissed that notion. “She doesn’t hate you. She just thinks you’re…” And there, he stopped, stammered, and bit down on his tongue, cursing at himself.

The smile Fina gave him was bittersweet. “You can say it. She thinks I’m weak.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Vyse tried to backpedal. Tried, and failed. The sick look on her face didn’t go away. “Aika’s a handful. She takes a while to warm up to someone. Don’t worry. She has your back. And once you two finally do hit it off, she’ll go to hell and back for you.”

“She has a right to be frustrated. I’m frustrated, too.” Fina admitted. “Nothing I ever learned, or trained for, or studied, prepared me to do this. To be here.” The Silvite swallowed and looked down. “I want to be better. I’m _trying_. I know I’m not what she wants me to be.”

“But to do something like this...I mean, your people asked you to save the world. Why wouldn’t they prepare you for that?”

She laughed once, a sharp and sick noise. “Because I wasn’t the one who was supposed to do this. That’s what they had him for, and they trained him to be a warrior. They sent him, and then...then, when we didn’t hear from him for years, they sent me, because there was no other choice.”

Vyse nodded slowly, and a sick little thought came into his mind. “Who is he?”

“He’s…” Fina started, and went a shade paler still, closing her eyes. Unseen pain was felt and filtered away behind her eyelids, and when she opened them, there was calm. “It doesn’t matter. We lost him. He’s dead by now. He’d...he’d have to be.” She seemed uncertain of that, but Vyse had something else to prod at.

“At the end there...you had a lot of power you were calling up. It looked like one hell of a spell you were conjuring.” He pointed out. “Aika hit a nerve when she said that, didn’t she?”

Fina nodded, swallowing down the words hard.

Vyse put a hand on her shoulder. “Did...did _he_ call you useless?” The Blue Rogue asked her gently. Her head jerked up as if he’d shot her, eyes wide, and Vyse quickly shook his head. “I’m sorry, I...I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.” Because she already had.

 

Vyse stepped away from her and motioned to Drachma. “Dinner’s ready. Why don’t you get a bite to eat? You’ll feel better afterwards.” He waited for her to nod again, then walked back to the campfire, where Drachma handed him a skewer of roasted fish and vegetables.

“Ye’d best go see to your other girl there, lad.” Drachma uttered quietly, motioning back to the ship with his head ever so briefly. “I’ll keep an eye on the wallflower here.”

 

Aika was right where Vyse expected her to be, sitting up on the roof of the _Little Jack’s_ pilot house, her legs dangling, and muttering under her breath between mouthfuls. She wasn’t paying any attention to him, but Vyse could tell by the angle of her head that she knew he was there. He had never been able to sneak up on her.

Vyse sighed and ran a hand over the back of his scalp. “Well. That could have gone better.”

“She’s not ready for this.” Aika said, swallowing down a mouthful of food.

“Were we ever ready?” Vyse countered. “I seem to recall our first mission involving a crazy girl with a knife, and me getting a scar out of it.”

“Yeah, and _then_ we had the crew of the _Albatross_ to back us up. Your father, even. He nearly grounded us for a month after that. This? Now? There’s nobody who will rescue us if things go sideways.”

“I know that. And so does Fina.” Vyse placated her. “But you can’t go after her like a psychotic drill sergeant. She’ll get to our level, but it’ll take time. Remember, we’ve had years of training. She’s brand new to this life. She actually started to improve a little when I was sparring with her. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice a little bit of improvement when you fought her tonight. That is, before you went full on lunatic and tried to cave her head in.”

“She did have a good pattern of blocking and attacking with her little pet there for a while.” Aika muttered. She looked down at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes and looked away.

Vyse harrumphed and smiled. It was a win and he’d take it. “Hey, scoot over.”

Aika picked up her plate and set it in her lap. “You sure this roof can handle your weight?”

“If it hasn’t caved in yet from _you_ sitting on it…”

“Hey! You jerk!” She kicked out at him, and Vyse laughed and dodged away from the half-hearted swing of her boot. He hopped up onto the roof beside her, taking the punch to the shoulder he had coming. Vyse took a hefty bite of his skewer, chewing on it as the two stared up at the silver moon. He enjoyed the food and waited, knowing the pattern. She’d talk, once the silence and her own nerves finally got to her.

And she did, setting her plate behind her before bringing her knees up to her chest and leaning her head over them. “I’m scared, Vyse.”

He swallowed, glad that he’d been given enough time to chew it thoroughly. “You don’t think I am?” They met each other’s eyes with their peripheral vision only briefly before she looked away again. “Fina will get stronger, but you need to back off. Try wearing the kid gloves for a change.”

That might have been the wrong thing to say, as she puffed her cheeks out and soured quickly. “What’s wrong, Vyse? Angry that I’m picking on your girlfriend?”

He groaned at that, throwing his hands into the air. “Why is this so important to everyone?! Drachma thinks you and I are together, you think I’m dating Fina, and my mom…”

Aika twisted her neck around, scrutinizing him. “What about your mom?”

Vyse sighed, and took another bite off of the skewer, using the time to calm himself down. “It doesn’t matter. Right now, Fina needs us to be there for her. Right now, she’s all alone. You heard her; she didn’t really have a family growing up. That’s what _we_ have to be.”

“Where do I come into this? I thought she had you for the touchy feely stuff.” Aika said sarcastically.

“She has nobody else right now, Aika.” Vyse met her gaze with the sternest look he’d ever turned on her. “She needs us. _Both_ of us. We promised her we were her friends.”

Aika’s face softened a bit. “Yeah. I know, but…”

“Why do you hate her so much anyways?” Vyse pressed her, tired of the dithering. He went straight for the heart of it.

Aika blinked rapidly at that, and Vyse polished off his kebab, chewing noisily while he waited for her to put together an answer.

She slumped her head back against her legs and looked out over the horizon again.

“I don’t hate her.” She finally confessed. “But she’s so _weak_ , and I’m worried, and...I don’t know. I’m jealous, okay? It feels like she’s taking you away from me.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Vyse said, relieved. This, he understood. He tossed the now empty stick onto her plate behind them, then reached out and squeezed her hand. “You’re still my best friend, you know that, right?”

For once, she didn’t freeze up when he touched her. She did the opposite, visibly relaxing and setting her legs down before leaning sideways. Her head came to rest against his shoulder, and she squeezed his hand back.

“Who else would be?” She qualified, offering a weak laugh. She wasn’t entirely at peace, he could tell, there was still something eating at her. She must have sensed it, because she punched him in the leg.

“Ow.”

“Stop thinking so hard, you dummy. We can’t afford to replace your brain.”

“True. We could afford to replace yours, though.” He stuck his tongue out and made a raspberry, and she laughed.

“You’re such an ass.”

“You still like me?”

Her breathing slowed, and he could feel that she was settling more of her weight against his side. “Yeah.”

 

***

 

_Sailor’s Island_

_The Next Day_

  


“...all I’m saying is, it’s kind of creepy that some dumb bird still _wearing a piece of its eggshell_ coughs up hairballs that have prizes inside of them.” Aika complained, giving the Riselem crystal that Fina held a wary glance as she kept her distance from the Silvite.

“Riselem is one of the most powerful spells which comes from the silver moon.” Fina argued, unswayed by the _ick_ factor of the bauble’s creation. “It can fully heal and revive a person or creature who is on the verge of expiring. Besides, as long as we’re out and about, the least we could do is help that little girl by feeding her bird. It won’t distract us all that much. And relax. I’ll hold it.”

“Great. Keep the bird spit-ups away from me and we’ll do fine.”

“Girls, come on.” Vyse sighed. Aika had mellowed out a bit after their talk, but the two were still harping on one another for reasons he couldn’t fathom. But then, girls were complicated, or so he’d always been told. Waging a secret war against an evil empire while going on a world-spanning treasure hunt was so much easier to wrap his head around. He looked to Drachma for support, but the old man merely rolled his eye and turned in for the pub. Vyse settled for crossing his arms and tapping his foot on the ground a few times to indicate his disappointment. “Can I trust you two to _not_ get into a fight while I’m checking in with the Sailor’s Guild?”

“Yeah, fine.” Aika rolled her eyes. “I just hope you don’t meet that Domingo guy again. He had a lead on the old crossroads signpost before we even knew about it. Getting paid full money for your Discoveries is way more satisfying.”

“I think he’s pushed on.” Vyse said dryly. “Fina, what do you want to do?”

“I thought I’d walk around the island, see if I could find another Cham to feed Cupil with.” The Silvite smiled at him. “I got lucky finding one in your father’s...place.” She qualified, glancing around the crowded pavilion.

“Hm. Suppose I could go looking for Moonfish while we’re here as well.” Vyse shrugged. Sailor’s Island wasn’t terribly big, as most of its space was taken up by docking ports rather than actual floating landmass. He turned for the doors of the Sailor’s Guild and had almost made it before an excited squeal from Aika derailed his train of thought.

“Vyse, look! The bounty board’s updated!”

He frowned and went over, peering in at the newest list. Up at the top with three stars of notoriety was Dyne, the “Blue Storm” as he was known by the Valuan Empire. His escape from his execution no doubt played a part in that ranking.

Not that they’d have much luck finding him. Vyse knew his father. The man could go to ground better than anyone.

“Wow. One-Armed Drachma?” Vyse found the old man’s name much further down the list, with a single star next to his name. “I wonder what he did to piss the Valuans off.”

“It was his ship we used, remember?” Aika pointed out. “But I’m talking about _this_.”

Vyse stared, and there, at the bottom of the list, was a single star and his own name.

**Vyse the Blue Rogue.**

 

“Wow.” He muttered, and slowly looked around himself. It was true that here, on Sailor’s Island which was an independent freehold, that didn’t mean much of anything. Bounty Hunters were few and far between, but he’d have to be careful. Sometimes, the Valuans paid well even for low-ranked piracy bounties. “I guess I’m moving up in the world.”

“I think I liked your dad’s name better.” Aika preened. “Vyse the Determined.”

“Fathers usually think more highly of their sons than other people do.” Vyse easily dismissed the notion. “Besides. This could work in our favor. Only the most callous bastards would go after a Blue Rogue. This could keep our sails clear of trouble for a while.”

“I suppose…”

“Just be glad they didn’t give me a different nickname.” Vyse smirked.

“Like Vyse the Unimpressive? No, wait! Vyse the Competent. Sort of a backhanded compliment there.”

“Still.” Vyse sighed, tracing the paper with his fingertips. “I bust an entire pirate crew out of their execution, escape the Grand Fortress, and make off with Fina to boot, and all I’m worth is one measly star?”

“Next time, we’ll take down one of their admirals.” Aika promised him with a chuckle. “That would make them think twice.”

“It would at that.” He nodded, smiling all the more when he caught Fina giggling behind her hand. “All right, everyone. Meet up at the pub in an hour. With any luck, we can get Drachma to foot the bill for lunch, since we helped haul his moonstone ore onto the docks.”

They parted ways and Vyse walked into the Sailor’s Guild. The man behind the counter was the same fellow who’d recorded his Discovery of the Pirate’s Grave, and paid off the bounty for Baltor the Black-Bearded as well. He raised an eyebrow as Vyse approached. “Welcome back, Vyse. Or should I say, Vyse the Blue Rogue?”

“Saw the new Valuan piracy board, did you?”

“Sort of.” The man adjusted his glasses. “I was told to deliver something to you if you came by this way again.” Vyse raised an eyebrow as the fellow slid a card across the counter towards him. It was blank, save for a large black spot situated in the center of it.

Vyse picked it up and examined it. “What’s this?”

“A black spot.” The Guild officer answered, quieter than before. “It means that the Angel of Death has singled you out as her next target.”

“Who?”

“The Angel of Death.” The man shivered. “She’s a bounty hunter that goes after pirates. The Valuan most-wanted list gives her every target she could ever want to chase. But nobody knows what she looks like. The only times I’ve seen her in here, she was in a full-on black cloak, with a hood, and she carried around a wicked looking scythe.”

“A scythe.” Vyse repeated dubiously. He pocketed the card, tried to fight the rising sense of panic in the back of his mind, and shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. “Well. The next time I see some crazy woman with a farm implement chasing after me, I’ll be sure to run the other way then. In the meantime, I’ve got a new Discovery to report.”

The Guild officer leaned forward, immediately excited about the news. “What did you find this time?” It was easy for Vyse to return to his usual cadence and focus on the thrill of things found while sailing to new places.

It beat thinking about the looming death sentence over his head.

 

***

 

_Early Evening_

  


They had sold off their supplies, picked up a few more items (Drachma thankfully, _finally_ upgraded his old cannons to something with a little more punch with the money he got from the silver moonstone ore), and then after a small resupply, had sailed due east for the floating barrier of the brown rock reefs. It separated Nasrian held territory from Mid-Ocean, and had long kept the Valuan Armada from making a move into the territory of the Red Moon that did not involve the Danel Straits, the narrow passages between rock and rifts the Nasrian fleet rigorously patrolled. There had been no sign of any Valuan patrols, and Vyse had thought they were clear of the danger.

That had lasted up until they had reached the stone reef and found that there was a ship with blue and white sails standing in their path...and after blocking them once, it then moved to intercept.

Drachma stared at the vessel through an old spyglass, while Vyse gripped the spokes of the pilot wheel. “No cannons on it. Looks like a skiff. Friends of yours, boy?”

“I don’t think so.” Vyse muttered. He chewed on his lower lip. “I saw your name on the Valuan bounty board at Sailor’s Island. Did you have the Valuans after you _before_ you helped us break the Blue Rogues out of prison?”

“Not to your level of notoriety, no.” Drachma harrumphed. “But I did spend a lot of time dealing in the black market in West Ocean before. Was the only way to get the weapons I needed to hunt Rhaknam.”

“I got a Black Spot today.” Vyse cut in, and _that_ made Drachma turn to look at him.

“You’ve got the Angel of Death after ye, boy?” The old man rumbled. Vyse shrugged. “You’re bound and determined to drag me into every bit of trouble you possibly can.”

“I didn’t _ask_ for a bounty hunter who uses a _scythe_ to chase after me.” Vyse slowed the engine to a crawl, then to a full stop once their momentum had slowed. “Come on. If it’s really her...We’ll need you to back us up.”

“You and your girls can’t fight her on your own?” Drachma wagered, falling in step behind Vyse as he marched out onto the deck. Aika was already there, confused as the other ship drew near, and Fina had been jogging around the deck before dinner. The both of them saw Vyse and tensed up.

“Trouble?” Aika asked, as Vyse fell in step with them.

Vyse stared up at the blue and white-sailed schooner as it pulled up just above the _Little Jack_ , crossing his arms. A rope was thrown over the side, and a young woman in unusual black leggings and a midriff-baring top slid down. A green Ferlith merely hopped over the side and came down for a hard landing beside her. Most telling was the long-handled scythe strapped behind her back, which dangled close to her feathered white and blue hair.

Vyse stared. “You’re in our way.” He said.

The woman, his age or only a touch older, unstrapped her scythe and stared him down. “You are Vyse, the Blue Rogue?” She questioned.

“Yes.” Vyse nodded. He wouldn’t lie, even if he could pull it off successfully. “And you are?”

“My name is Piastol. I am a bounty hunter, and I hunt air pirates exclusively.” She pointed at him, her face as solemn as a tomb. “The Angel of Death has come for you, Vyse.”

 

Vyse unstrapped his cutlasses, Aika freed her boomerang. Drachma merely took another step forward and adjusted a small toggle on the side of his mechanical arm, which now sported a different and more menacing attachment after their resupply. Fina, the least battle-hardened of them all, whispered to Cupil and brought her small hovering friend into being next to her.

 

“Sorry. But I’ve got too much left to do to die here.” Vyse replied. The Ferlith beside Piastol growled loudly, and it acted as the signal. They charged at each other, and the battle was joined.

 

***

 

Piastol proved to be a deadly foe, as versatile with her magic as she was with her unusual blade. Vyse did his best to manage her attention, which wasn’t that hard, as he was her target. What aggravated him the most was that both times he managed to get in a good hit, the Ferlith she had brought with her conjured up a healing spell and made the injuries disappear.

“Get the dog!” Vyse snapped, wincing as the leading edge of her scythe sliced through his shirt and scraped along the armored undershirt he’d picked up some time back. Given the sound, she’d thoroughly torn through it.

“Useless.” Piastol chuffed, allowing him to backpedal before raising a hand up towards him. “Time to perish.” Vyse’s eyes went wide as she summoned up her silver magic, trying for a spell meant to incapacitate someone entirely in one blow. At the last moment, it bounced off of him, deflected by a timely throw of Aika’s potent Delta Shield. It never lasted for long, but it saved him from being struck dead where he stood.

He glanced over to her, and the redhead gave him the barest nod before turning her attention to the Ferlith. Drachma and Fina had moved their focus to the canine and were steadily wearing it down, with Fina blasting it with one charge after another of Pyri. Now Aika added her own skill to the attack, leaving Vyse alone with Piastol.

“Your pet isn’t looking so good.” Vyse taunted her. Angered at having her spells constantly thwarted, Piastol took a step back and started to build up a charge in the moonstone core of her scythe. Vyse raised up his swords, preparing to block another one of her furious assaults. As long as he braced for it, he would be hurt, but not down, and the girls could put him back to rights. He was ready for her...

“Neither is yours.” Piastol growled, and exploded in movement and light right as his eyes went wide. She wasn’t aiming for him.

Aika, distracted by the fight with the Ferlith, only had enough time to turn around before Piastol was on her, slashing like a hurricane. She let out a shriek that was ended far too soon, carried on by Vyse’s roar when he closed in on her.

Piastol pulled clear of Aika, who lay slumped on the deck, marred in deep cuts across the whole of her body and too blinded by pain to move. Vyse felt his heart stop as he knelt down beside her, and paid no attention to the final yelp of the bounty hunter’s death hound when Drachma finally managed to hit the thing in the skull hard enough to end its life.

Blood poured out of a mortal gash through her throat, leaving Aika gagging on her own blood, unable to breathe, her life fast dwindling.

Vyse gripped her hand, squeezed. “Aika. Aika, come on. Hold on, we’ll heal you!” He begged, stumbling in his pocket for a Sacri crystal.

Her eyes turned to glass, her choking stopped, and the rest of her followed. “No!” He howled. “NO!”

In the background, Piastol snarled in triumph. “You take my dog, I take your friend, pirate.” Vyse whirled around, his anger at a full boil.

But then Fina stepped in front of him, her eyes hard and glimmering with silver around the edges of her green irises. “Don’t fight angry.” She warned him. “Aika taught me that.”

“But she _killed her!”_

Fina shook her head, pulled her other hand from a small pocket of her dress, and opened it up to reveal a crystal.

The Riselem Crystal that the tiny bird owned by the girl Maria had coughed up earlier that same day. With a shout, she broke it in her hand and then hurled its power towards Aika’s body. Brilliant, blinding light made everyone on the deck flinch including Piastol, and when the light cleared, Aika was groaning and pulling herself up in disbelief.

 

“Impossible.” Piastol stared between Fina and Aika. “You just...but she was…”

Fina whirled around on Piastol, and Vyse quickly fell in step beside her, while Drachma helped Aika up to her feet. The Silvite’s eyes only glowed brighter.

“You are a dilettante, using magic you _barely comprehend._ ” Fina hissed, raising a hand above her head. “Your heart only has room for death. But mine?” She let out a sibilant chant in a tongue Vyse couldn’t fathom, and every one of them, Aika, Vyse, Drachma, and Fina herself became enfolded by an aura of warm, silvery light.

The fatigue, the aches, the minor injuries he had taken all began to fade away. Vyse looked to Fina, and realized in that moment just how little they knew of this foreign girl, and how terribly they had underestimated her potential. It was not to be found in martial combat, but in magic.

“No!” Piastol shrieked, and rushed towards Fina, intent on the kill.

This time, Vyse met her head-on, bellowing as scythe and swords dueled for supremacy.

She had power, more than Vyse did. But he was revived, constantly renewed so that every blow never had a chance to linger, and she was exhausted after a hard fight. The cuts he took vanished, while more and more piled up along her legs, her arms, her waist, and even her scalp. And finally, it came to an end when Vyse over-channelled his spiritual power through his blades, and sliced clean through the haft of her scythe, leaving a light gash across her ribs before he kicked her away.

 

Piastol came to a stop ten feet away, breathing shallowly and bleeding onto the deck with her hands wrapped around the broken pieces of her weapon. Vyse stood back, guarding the others as the bounty hunter lurched up to one knee, grimacing.

“How could I lose...to a lowly air pirate?” Piastol demanded between gulps of air.

“We’re done.” Vyse snapped at her.

“Kill me, then.” Piastol rasped back.

“No.” Vyse shook his head, stowing his blades. The silvery glow around him finally faded, leaving him unblemished as he folded his arms. “I’m not going to kill you. And like I said, I’m too busy to be dying off yet. Come back in 50 or 60 years, and we’ll talk.” He brought a hand up and scratched at the scar under his left eye as he looked back to Fina and Aika, smiling in relief. “For now, though, get off my ship.”

“This be _my ship,_ boy!” Drachma thundered, pausing after throwing the corpse of the dog off of the deck. “I just let you _fly the damn thing!”_ Vyse shrugged good-naturedly and looked back to Piastol, half-expecting the beaten girl to come charging at him. Instead, she was staring at him in surprise...then slowly dawning rage.

“That scar.” She uttered.

“Um. Yes, I have a scar.”

“I would know that scar anywhere.” She rose to her feet and pointed at him with the broken head of her scythe. “And I know _you_ , Vyse.” Vyse, of course, wondered what she was driving at and cocked his head to the side. “Hear me, air pirate. From now on, I hunt for your head _alone_. The next time we meet…”

“The next time we meet, we’re going to kick your ass twice as hard!” Aika shouted from behind Vyse, cutting off the rant. Piastol hissed through her pain again, now dripping with blood from all of the nicks and cuts across her body, and stumbled for the rope.

Vyse watched her climb back up the rope, one painful pull at a time, and couldn’t help himself. “You need a hand there?”

Her angry scream as she hauled herself over the railing of her ship was the last thing she uttered before her ship slowly pulled away from them. With the danger passed, the Blue Rogue turned and ran back to Aika and Fina.

The redhead was still in a state of shock, running her hands over her body in disbelief. She looked between her hands and Fina.

“You saved me.” Aika finally said. Fina smiled.

“I told you that crystal would come in handy.”

Aika looked down at the deck. “We...we’re feeding that bird more moonfish.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Vyse agreed, before turning to Fina. “Where the heck did that come from?”

“Silvites have a unique connection to silver moon magic.” Fina explained, with some reluctance. “It commands the power of life and death. I’m not a warrior, but…”

“You were raised to be a priestess.” Vyse realized.

Fina blinked. “What’s that?”

Aika cut off Vyse by grabbing hold of Fina and pulling her into a tight hug that made the blonde girl squeak from the crushing force. “It means I’m sorry for...for picking on you.” The redhead said, agitated and apologetic. “You’re not weak. You’re stronger than you know.”

They all stumbled as the _Little Jack_ lurched into motion, and Drachma stuck his head out of the wheelhouse. “You all might want to get inside. We’re blasting our way through that stone reef, and there’s likely to be plenty of debris that’ll strike the deck!”

“Oh, joy. Which means more cleaning and repairs for us.” Aika made a face, and Fina giggled at it. Vyse stopped the two girls before they could walk too far ahead of them, grabbing their hands and making them turn in surprise. He could have let things stand, but he was a captain of the Blue Rogues, and he needed to clear the air.

“From now on, we don’t fight with each other. We protect each other, because we’re family. All right?” He watched Aika carefully after he finished, waiting for some flash of resentment or jealousy to manifest.

But it never did. Instead, she reached out and gently punched Fina in the side of the arm, barely hard enough to muss up the fabric. “Works for me. Fina?”

The blonde nodded, visibly relieved. “I’d like that too.”

 

Vyse grinned, squeezed their hands, and then walked between them, pulling them along behind him.

He missed seeing how both of them blushed as he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's admit it: Getting Fina at Level 1 when everyone else is around Level 10 can be somewhat treacherous. A stiff breeze can knock her out early on.
> 
> Also, this is the only fight where Piastol will have that stupid DeathHound helping her out. She's a tough as nails bounty hunter and she doesn't Need Any Stinking Backup.


	7. Bait and Snitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Valuan spymaster profiles Vyse, and learns he cannot be tempted...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Seven: Bait and Snitch**

 

Admiral Belleza was unlike any of the others in the Admiralty of Valua, and they had Galcian to thank for that. She had been given command of the Fourth Fleet, but spent little time with it. No, her true power and skill lay in the art of spycraft, espionage, and deception. It was why Galcian had given her the posting; he’d seen her potential, as he had with all of them.

Well, almost all of them. That churlish milksop Alfonso had been a political appointment, and his failures earlier on...and his willingness to lie about it and  _ kill his own vice admiral _ had led to him finally being demoted and shoved off to Ixa’taka. Perhaps in time, Galcian would find a more suitable replacement for the First Admiral’s chair.

For the moment, though, Galcian and the Armada had other concerns; namely, the Silvite girl Fina who had gotten away...and the Blue Rogue named Vyse responsible for the daring rescue. The fact was, aside from the knowledge that Vyse was the son of Dyne, who had since gone to ground, they knew nothing about him, or his accomplices.

But then, that was why Galcian had Belleza. Nobody was better at information gathering and sussing out leads than she was. Galcian had merely pointed her in a good direction to start; if Fina were to inform the pirate about Valua’s intentions of claiming the Moon Crystals, it would stand to reason that they would begin the hunt close to home. And since the Yellow Moon Crystal lay beneath the Maw of Tartas, and therefore out of reach…

She’d pointed her ship in the direction of Maramba with a pile of documents and incident reports, and begun the slow, methodical work of learning more about their enemies…

And hatching a plan to crush them, not with a fusillade of cannonfire or the heavy mallet of a military skirmish, but with whispers, shadows, red herrings...And a killing stroke in the night.

 

***

 

_ Admiral Belleza’s Flagship _

_ Valuan Warship  _ Lynx

_ 1 Day After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


There came a knock at the door of Belleza’s stateroom, and she glanced up away from the intelligence reports, wincing as she felt the start of a lingering pain in her neck. “Enter.” She rolled her head around to try and smooth it out as the door opened, and a sailor assigned to the  _ Lynx’s _ galley backed into her quarters with a rolling cart and a tea service.

“Coming up on three bells, Admiral.” The sailor said cheerfully. “Lieutenant Alvarez thought you could do with a bit of tea and something to nibble.”

Belleza raised an eyebrow, catching sight of some of the galley’s fine artisanal biscuits...glazed with chocolate. She didn’t bother trying to hide the smile. Of all the exports from Ixa’taka, the cacao bean was her favorite, even though raw moonstones were what the Armada mainly concerned itself with. They had a voracious appetite for the precious energy sources, especially since they had exhausted the bulk of their own. Belleza wondered briefly if the Upper City’s obsession with chocolate matched it.

“Did she really say that, sailor?” Belleza pressed, and the young man blushed a little under her praise. Belleza could drip with charm when she felt like it, and while she could play the hard-ass as much as anyone, she much preferred the honey over vinegar approach for the day-to-day tasks of running a ship.

“I believe her exact words, ma’am, were,  _ ‘She’s probably worked through lunch again without realizing it, so take her an afternoon snack before she passes out on us.’ _ Ma’am.” The sailor said, going for a touch of formality at the end of the gossip. 

Belleza smirked and shook her head. “I see. Well, thank her for me after you leave. I was getting a touch peckish.” She rose from her desk, set a paperweight on the stack of documents to hold them down, and then went over. “How is my Vice Admiral doing on the bridge?”

“No problems to report, ma’am. We should reach the stone reef in about an hour, and he is conferring with all stations to prepare for the crossing.”

“Good.” Belleza turned over the teacup on the service and reached for the teapot. “Have the Vice Admiral inform me when we begin crossing procedures, and tell him I’m not to be disturbed until then. Dismissed.”

“Yes, admiral.” The sailor came to attention, saluted, and then let himself back out.

 

Belleza lifted the teacup up and breathed in the faint scent of the spiced orange blend before taking a sip. Hot without being scalding, meant to be enjoyed. Perfect. She raised a hand to her long reddish-brown hair and stroked it back while she stared out of her stateroom’s window. 

It was coming up on sunset, and the sky was going from blue to a picturesque shade of orange and pinks. Once they crossed the stone reef, they would be fully under the light of the Red Moon. She could already feel how the air was warmer than before.

Having gone over the reports, Belleza had a fairly good idea of the sequence of events leading up to the Blue Rogue Vyse’s infiltration of Valua. Accompanied by his fellow Blue Rogue, a red-haired girl of some skill, they had made their way to Sailor’s Island and somehow conned a ride on the  _ Little Jack _ , captained by an old sailor named Drachma. He was on Valua’s piracy board, but his crimes had been mainly for his dealings in the black market, and only in the North Ocean, so there hadn’t been any recent dispatches or notices for his capture. 

She owed her spy in that independent port city a bottle or two for  _ that _ little detail, as it laid bare a glaring oversight in their security apparatus. She’d already made a note to pass that on to Galcian the next time they dispatched a messenger bag. 

Thus, when Drachma, Vyse, and his female associate Aika had arrived at the southern border of Valuan airspace with a valid merchant’s passport (although one doctored to match their own ship’s registry, and that was  _ another security concern _ to bring up), the border patrol had let them pass through without incident. From there, the ship had docked in the Lower City for ‘repairs.’ They were likely repairs of a questionable nature, and given Drachma’s previous dealings, she would bet good money that the black market was responsible for the Harpoon Cannon which had been installed. She hated how De Loco kept funnelling out his experiments through all channels instead of doing a better job of managing them. It was a dangerous tactic which had finally bitten them in the ass, because the Harpoon Cannon used by the  _ Little Jack  _ was anything but the standard model authorized for general production. Her own investigation had been pushed aside so De Loco’s men could ‘look into it’, which was another point of contention between her and the short-statured, short-sighted, short-witted psychopath. He didn’t give a damn about the illegality of black market operations, they lined the Armada’s pockets. All he cared about was that  _ someone _ had figured out how to make a better weapon than he had.

Some day, De Loco was going to get himself killed with that attitude. Belleza had a bottle of single-malt Yellowrye in her locked safe for when that day came.

The alliance between Vyse and Drachma was...tenuous, at best. Her agent on Sailor’s Island, from what he’d overheard, reported that Vyse had basically blackmailed Drachma into providing transportation to Valua for information on the Harpoon Cannon.

Vyse was powerful, but he was also young. With the aid of Drachma and the  _ Little Jack _ , he’d been able to not only free the other Blue Rogues scheduled for execution, but reclaim Fina right from under Galcian’s nose...and then out-fight a standard Valuan frigate, and out-fly the closing gates of the Grand Fortress itself. He was audacity given form, and Belleza had a strong suspicion he relied too heavily on good fortune, surprise, and being underestimated. Those were aggravating qualities, but with enough planning, there were ways to neutralize them.

No, the problem came that Vyse, the Silvite girl, and the female Blue Rogue were not alone in their quest to out-treasure hunt the Valuan armada.

 

She drained the rest of her teacup, walked back over to the tea service, and set it down before picking up one of the chocolate-coated biscuits. The first bite was sinful rapture, and she chewed slowly, relishing in the flavor. 

If she could somehow pull Drachma and his, for its size, impressive little ship away from Vyse and the two girls who were now accompanying him, she could limit his mobility, narrow his opportunities...control his movements. But how to do it?

There were the usual and expected avenues, of course. Brute strength and open shows of force were the trademarks of others in the Armada; Vigoro, for example, the chauvinist pig, always believed in charging in head-on, guns blazing. De Loco would try to make some over-the-top weapon to solve the problem for him. Gregorio…

Well, actually Gregorio, as the most senior (By age) of the Admiralty would likely go for a more balanced approach. But Belleza had her tactics. How best could she divide and conquer?

Her hand was halfway down towards the next biscuit when her devious mind slipped a gear towards a brilliant idea. Belleza lunged for her desk, bringing up the scattered reports on Captain ‘One-Armed’ Drachma that she had painstakingly collated.

_...Independent agent....Valuan background...former sailor...Motivated by an irrational hatred… _

**_Rhaknam…_ **

 

Belleza didn’t bother muffling the sharp little laugh that escaped her lungs. There. There was her opening.

Drachma had no loyalty to Vyse, no particular enmity to the Empire. The Blue Rogue had merely used Drachma, and in turn, been used by him for a period of mutual benefit. There appeared to be only one motivating factor in Drachma’s life, and it was potent enough that he’d converted a fishing ship into a vessel built to hunt sky monsters.

Revenge makes a person do crazy things. Of course, Belleza also knew that revenge and singular hatred was like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die, but…

If Drachma was that far-gone into his suicidal quest? She would gladly make use of it to separate him and his dangerous little ship from Vyse.

Belleza returned to her desk, now all smiles, and started to plan it all out.

 

***

 

_ Maramba _

_ Nasrian Territory _

_ 2 Days Later _

  
  


The plan was not entirely to her Vice Admiral’s satisfaction, but he knew well enough to merely grumble about the plot, nod, and take orders. It was by her mind, genius in its simplicity. With enough of a head start on the Blue Rogues, the  _ Lynx _ had crossed into Nasrian airspace by clearing the brown stone reef, using its impressive magical cannonfire to blow a hole through it long enough to pass through. While the ship coasted at anchor on the other side of the reef, she had her crew finish outrigging a small, Nasrian-styled ‘pleasure ship’ that they had confiscated from a wealthy merchant some four years ago when they’d arrested him for arms smuggling. The thing wasn’t built to handle rough storms, but it had plush accommodations and a sinfully large bed, and could be handled by a single helmsman...or woman. It came complete with plenty of garments for the various women in his harem back home, not that he’d ever been able to see them again. Afterwards, it was a simple enough matter to darken her skin to a tanned state with an application of magic-activated tanning cream, and Belleza, the dark red-haired, pale-skinned Admiral of Valua disappeared. Dressed in silk leggings and a top that left her midriff bare, with a smile hidden behind a sheer silk veil…

Bellena, the mysterious exotic dancer of Nasrad took her place.

 

With the rest of her crew waiting back on the  _ Lynx _ , save for a small contingent who had dressed as merchants and come in on a different ship and would work as her ears on the ground, she pulled the small pleasure craft into port and made arrangements with the harbormaster for a two-week docking fee. A few quick movements, some coquettish winks and flirtations, and she had him all but turned into a drooling mess who reduced the price to that of a one-week fee for the promise of sharing a drink with him later. Almost every man she’d ever come across was just like him, and she had learned the game well. Only one man (Who didn’t go after other men, she qualified) had ever  _ not _ been drawn in, and to her frustration, it had to be her superior, the one man she wanted more than anything.

Her very next stop after that was the Sailor’s Guild, which shared space with the ship’s supply store. Stepping inside, she watched as both the guildmaster behind the counter and the salesman stood up a little straighter, puffed themselves out a bit more, sucked in their guts.

Under the veil, Belleza smirked and put a little extra sway into her hips as she approached the salesman. “Good afternoon.” She said, following it with a traditional Nasrian hand gesture of goodwill and blessing between strangers. In her line of work as a spymaster, she knew all too well it was the little details that counted. After one of her underlings had been exposed for making a  _ Valuan _ hand gesture for ordering drinks in a Nasrad saloon...Well. She had drilled the importance into the rest of her undercover agents rather forcefully.

The salesman’s smile was positively blinding. “Welcome, a thousand welcomes, my beautiful dove of the oasis!” He exulted. “What can your humble servant do for you this wonderful day? I have a fine blend of tea in the back, if you would care to quench your thirst? Nasrad Galas, the best under any of the Moons!”

“Perhaps later.” Belleza said. “I am Bellena, an exotic dancer from Nasrad here on vacation. However, I require refined moonstone ore for my ship’s engine, as I exhausted more than I thought I would in outrunning Rhaknam.”

The name of the most feared Arcwhale across the skies chilled the air around them all.

“You saw Rhaknam? Where?” The guildmaster uttered, fearful. 

“In a storm that developed along the stone reef, southwest of here.” She said, twisting a half-truth into a plausible lie. There  _ had _ been a significant storm just before their crossing at the stone reef, but Rhaknam hadn’t been flying through it. Still, every other ship she’d seen had steered clear of it, so who would be able to call her on the deception? Nobody.

“We’ll have to put out warnings.” The guildmaster stroked his chin. “My thanks, Lady Bellena.” He gave her a short bow, and the musical sound of her laugh broke the somber mood. Let them think she was flattered.

“Do not worry. I can send a man to your ship with the moonstones you require.” The salesman said cheerfully, back on his game. “It is a shame you must leave so soon, though. There is a fine tavern which has been looking for new entertainment for its guests, and if you were in need of money to continue your vacation…”

_ Give them an excuse to be helpful, and watch them fall over themselves doing it.  Works every time. _

 

‘Bellena’ smiled under her veil and brought a hand up to stroke her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Well. A little extra money would certainly be welcome...but who would come to see a strange dancer in this quaint little town?”

Both of the men in the room raised their hands, bouncing eagerly on the balls of their feet.

She smiled even wider.

Bait. Laid.

 

***

 

_ 6 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Outer Maramba _

_ “The Oasis” Tavern _

  
  


When establishing a double identity and settling in to a new place while waiting for a target, patience was not just a virtue, but an absolute necessity. Vyse and his merry band of interlopers seemed to be keeping to their own schedule, and to make inquiries or let her impatience show would have been unseemly. It would have also spoiled the whole point of the charade. And the charade itself? She would be glad when she was finally done with Maramba. She loved dancing, but she could do without the leering stares from drunken men...and their wandering hands. At least there she could fight back long enough for the bouncers to deal with them, but a hard life on the streets of Valua kept her wary when she left after her shifts.

Doubt slowly began to creep in as the days kept on. Had her wager been wrong? Had the rumors about Rhaknam not been prominent enough? She was used to her plans not ever going off the way she intended them to, but outright failures were another matter entirely. While she had been cooling her heels under a false identity, had Vyse and his partners skipped Maramba entirely?

The sight of him wandering into the tavern with a frustrated grimace on his face was sweet redemption for her nerves and her plans. The redhead and the blond-haired Silvite that followed him was pure gravy…

_ And no Drachma to be seen. _

 

They plopped down at the one open table in the tavern, resting on cushions set on the carpeted floor for their use. The three were close enough that Belleza could size them up properly, and even overhear snippets of their conversation. Easy enough to do and still manage some semblance of her routine, even if it did become a little formulaic. 

Fina, as the Silvite girl was called, she had only heard of, as she hadn’t been brought before the entire Admiralty. The reports listed her as someone weak, but with a thin vein of stubborn loyalty that had enraged the Empress. She still wore the same outfit she had when she’d first been captured, despite how easily identifiable it made her. Sentiment? There was a newness in her gaze as she looked around the tavern, soaking it all in. It made sense; to Fina, the rest of the world was something she was experiencing for the first time.  _ Driven by sentiment. Terribly naive. _

The redhead Blue Rogue had her back to Belleza, but there was no mistaking the depression evident in her slouched shoulders. “What the hell do we do now? Why would Drachma just... _ maroon us _ here like he did?” Inside her mind, Belleza crowed triumphantly. So the false rumors of Rhaknam she had planted had done their work after all. The despondency the girl was putting off was at odds with the description of a fiery, no-holds-barred she-demon that had stormed through Valua alongside Vyse. To Belleza, that was confirmation of what she suspected.  _ Wears her emotions on her sleeve. Absolutely no filter. Easy to read. _

And then, there was the infamous Blue Rogue himself. The redhead had been directing her questions to Vyse himself, and Belleza was struck at just how  _ young _ the air pirate actually was. The Blue Rogue known as Dyne had long been a thorn in the side of the Empire; he was one of the founding members of the Blue Rogue faction, after all. Vyse’s parentage explained much of his initial accomplishments. Dyne was widely known as a very capable sailor and officer, a stern but fair leader of men. He had apparently drilled all of his hard-earned lessons into his son.

Vyse sat unbowed by the weight of the world and its problems, but he shouldered them nonetheless. As he’d come in, Belleza had focused on him the longest. He wore his blue coat proudly and made no attempt to hide his identity. He favored short blades, if the scabbards at his waist were any indication, and there was a level of grace and dexterity in his step that betrayed just how steady his balance was. That and his build, toned and muscular without any unnecessary bulk spoke to a duelist’s expertise. It was his eyes, however, that were his most striking feature. Even with one kept behind a telescopic goggle lens, he seemed to be perfectly aware of his surroundings, in spite of the troubles that were likely running through his head. 

And he was watching  _ her _ , Belleza realized. It caused her a moment of panic before she remembered that she was there to be seen, and she smirked and threw him a wink before diving into her routine with additional fervor. It had the desired effect of drawing his attention in.

She could confirm that Vyse was indeed attracted to the fairer sex, at least. Although, his stare didn’t make her skin crawl like the leers of the other patrons had. He seemed more in awe, almost reverent in his regard for the dancer. Belleza had known enough men to tell the difference between a lustful look and a glassy-eyed stare of wonder.

Apparently his partner didn’t, because when the redhead caught him staring at her, she all but punched him in the face to get him to stop. And did Vyse sputter and deny it? No. He merely laughed, rubbed the back of the head, and owned up to it, claiming a respect for the customs of foreign lands. The redhead seemed to puff up even more indignantly, and all but turned into a beet when Fina added innocently that there was nothing wrong with the dancer paying more attention to Vyse, because he  _ was _ rather handsome…

_ Well.  _ Belleza almost laughed at that, but hid her widening grin behind her veil. So. There was something of a romantic rivalry between the two girls for Vyse’s affections? That was something she would have to remember for later.

For now, though, they were here…

 

Belleza finished her routine as ‘Bellena’, and sauntered down towards their table while Aika continued to argue about it all and throw shade and insults. She  _ really _ didn’t like Vyse looking at other women, apparently.

Belleza decided she would up her feminine wiles a few more degrees. 

A girl that bratty needed to be screwed with.

 

***

 

_ The Great Desert _

_ West of Maramba _

_ Evening _

  
  


‘Bellena’ was more than happy to let Vyse pilot the small pleasure craft out over the desert; there were reports of Black Pirates around, and even the Blue Rogue knew better than to go up against them in a ship without any defenses. Fina had indeed known more about the locations of the Moon Crystals than she had been willing to share with the Valuan authorities, although that knowledge appeared to be horribly outdated.  _ Apologizing and saying that the world looked different than the maps she’d studied...How inaccurate were the maps of the Silvites? _

Their best guess for the Temple of Pyrynn, which supposedly housed the Red Moon Crystal, was somewhere deep in the heart of the desert, in the shadow of the high mountain range above. Between that, dodging Black Pirates by staying low enough to the ground to avoid being easily spotted, and not being wiped out by sandstorms...Well.

Belleza’s estimate of Vyse increased several notches after his piloting performance that day. Still, it had been taxing, so they found themselves dropping anchor behind a small outcropping in the lower part of the ridge, shielding them from immediate view, and also from the more serious gusts of wind.

Belleza had been down in the galley making herself some tea while the three made ready to bed down for the night, and she was glad for once of the small ship’s amenities. It was useless in a fight, but given that it had been built for a wealthy (Though corrupt) merchant and his harem, there were plenty of places to sleep. Or  _ not _ sleep, although she doubted that Vyse was that far along with either of them, given their body language. Aika (She’d finally gotten the name down) and Fina were both ‘friendly’ and kept their distance, and Aika outright blushed whenever Vyse innocently touched her. Shoulder nudges didn’t set her off, at least.  Belleza’s take on Vyse was someone who outright refused to act on his feelings, putting the mission first. Or maybe she was wrong, and he didn’t look at either of them like that. He would hardly be the first man who was blind to the subtle cues that a woman could put off.

It was something that Vyse and Galcian had in common.

 

When she emerged into the living quarters from the galley belowdecks, she was surprised to see Aika and Fina curled up on opposite sides of a bed large enough to fit six people...and no sign of Vyse. She frowned, took a sip of her tea, and walked over to the door that separated the living quarters from the wheelhouse.

He wasn’t there, either, and her concern rose. She’d dispatched a message to her ship through her messengers before they’d set off to have the  _ Lynx _ stay in the stone reef, close to the desert to await her signal. If Vyse suspected anything, they weren’t close enough to be of any help, and they hadn’t found the Temple yet. She stormed out onto the foredeck…

And found him kneeling beside a small, formerly locked storage box, now open with its contents of fireworks revealed. Her heart stopped as she drew near and Vyse looked up at her, and her eyes went to the fireworks box. Had he seen the signal flares buried underneath the cache of party supplies?

No. The top layer was undisturbed; he hadn’t been rooting through them.

 

“I wasn’t expecting you to be carrying fireworks.” Vyse said, slowly rising back up to his feet.

“Couldn’t get away without them, I’m afraid.” She responded, an easy smile coming to her face.  _ Don’t show any alarm. Keep it casual. Keep it light. _ “An exotic dancer in Nasrad must be able to entertain her...guests.”

The corner of Vyse’s mouth quirked up at that. “I’ll take your word for it, Bellena.” He closed the box, then snapped the lock shut. “Sorry for the intrusion. It pays to be a little cautious, though. I like you, but…”

“You don’t fully trust me.” Belleza finished. Her smile was a little more genuine as she crossed her arms. “Given who you are and what you’re trying to do, I can’t exactly blame you. I still have trouble believing that you were abandoned at port, though.”

“Drachma.” Vyse said, and his face darkened. Belleza hastily corrected her mental file on the Blue Rogue at that. He was all smiles and cheer most of the time, but there was a depth of fire and rage to him after all. One that only a fool would tap into, at their own peril. “We heard a rumor about Rhaknam when we were in the Sailor’s Guild. I knew he could be a gruff bastard, but as soon as he heard that, he walked out while I was concluding my business. When we got out, Aika was screaming at him over the wind as he pulled away. He just left us there.”

“Mm.” Belleza took another sip of her tea. “He hates that arcwhale more than you hate the Valuans.”

“Shouldn’t you hate them, too?” Vyse countered, lifting an eyebrow. “After what you told us about losing your father in the war 20 years ago?”

Bellena mustered a weak, uneasy laugh. “I...I suppose that time healed that wound.”

“Then you’re doing better than Drachma.” Vyse muttered. “It  _ feels _ like he’s after revenge, but he never talked about himself. Ah, well. He’s not my problem anymore. The fate of the world at stake, and he wants to keep after a living myth. I have bigger things to worry about.”

“You should be in bed.” Belleza pointed out. She finished off her tea and set the cup down on the lid of the fireworks box. “I mean, your two little friends are. And there’s nothing out here to attack us, I’ve got the repellent incense burning to keep the wild monsters away.”

“I’ll get there eventually. I put up a hammock down in the engine room.”

“The engine room is so small, though!” Belleza protested. “Why not share the bed with Aika and Fina? It’s big enough for all four of us, really.”

His cheeks pinked at the innocent suggestion, and Belleza pumped her fist at his discomfort. “They’re girls.” He finally replied, looking off to the side. “It’s not...not appropriate. Besides, I’ve been sleeping in a hammock for a long time. I’ve kind of gotten used to it.”

“Well. If you say so.” She sighed, feigning disappointment. “Still, you know you’re missing out.”

_ That _ made him go stiff from head to toe. “What do you mean.” He said, his head grinding on his neck as he turned back towards her.

Belleza just looked back at him, trying to fill her expression with as much exasperation and incredulity as she could. “You don’t see it, do you? How they look at you?  _ Both _ of them?”

Vyse shut his eyes, sighed loudly. “I try not to.” He admitted. “I won’t choose. I won’t hurt them, either of them, by choosing.”

She felt a hitch in her chest at that admission. “And is it better to say nothing? To just...have the ache and the longing?”

“You tell me, Bellena.” Vyse said, turning the conversation on her. “What about the man you love, but who doesn’t notice you? Have you ever confessed to him?”

The shot struck harder than it should have, but hurts of the heart always did. “No.” She whispered, feeling her eyes burning a bit. Damn this boy. Who was he to bring up these feelings in her?

“Why not?”

“Because, if he…” Her voice caught in her throat and she swallowed it back down.

“If he said no, it would break you.” Vyse finished, slowly nodding. “Just thinking about it hurts, doesn’t it. So that’s why I don’t say anything.” He pointed a finger at her. “And  _ you _ aren’t going to say anything to them, either.”

“I...I swear.” She promised, restoring herself. She pushed the hurt and the ache back down, buried it, poured concrete over the tomb of it. “But loneliness isn’t a solution.”

He laughed a little. “I’m not alone. I have my friends with me.”

She stepped towards him, took hold of his hand while she stroked the side of his face. There was still a way to assert authority.  _ It means nothing. It’s just a honey trap. An empty seduction to pump him for information. _

Belleza brought the hand of the boy ten years her junior up to her bare stomach, scant inches below her covered breasts. She placed it against her skin, cold and goosepimpled in the night air. His fingers twitched, and the rough calluses of his fingertips just barely stroked her skin.

“You don’t have to be alone tonight, Vyse.” She breathily sighed, and the burning haze clouded her mind.  _ It...it means nothing. You don’t want this boy. He’s not Galcian, he’s… _

He wasn’t Galcian. Galcian would have taken what she offered with a smirk and no real gratitude or committment. A part of her knew it, but she was attracted to his power, and his unwavering vision of a world at peace under the heel of Valuan authority.

Vyse’s neck was like a taut rope as he swallowed, looking into her eyes. The dark and primal lusts finally came to the surface, shading his brown eyes. He almost fell into her embrace. Lesser men always had.

But he closed his eyes, pulled his face away from her hand. Clenched his hand into a fist and withdrew it away from her body, away from the offer of a night’s pleasure between a lonely man and woman.

“No.” He refused, with no hatred or disgust. “Thank you, but, no. I won’t. I won’t do that to them.”

 

Belleza tried not to let the disappointment and the lingering ache of her core get the better of her. “You really do care for them, don’t you.”

“Enough to never betray them.” He said, and his eyes burned away the lustful haze for resolute fire. “I hope someday, your man accepts you for the treasure you are, Bellena.”

He was ten years younger and more inexperienced, a virgin if his responses were any indication, and completely naive about how the world’s injustices actually worked. Yet Belleza still felt shame as she stood there, illogical as it was. 

Vyse settled for giving her hand a squeeze and smiling as he brushed past her. “Tomorrow’s a big day. You’d better get some shut eye.”

Belleza swallowed. “You’re going to have trouble getting to sleep tonight. I tend to haunt men’s dreams.”

“Maybe.” Vyse conceded, his voice fading as he kept on walking. “But at least I’ll be able to look at myself in the morning.” And then he was gone, leaving her alone in the dark.

 

Admiral Belleza, leader of the 4th Fleet, stood there under the stars and the light of the Red Moon and finished compiling her mental report on Vyse.

Young. Bold. Aware of the weight of authority. Trusting. Beholden to a moral code he claimed was the heart of the Blue Rogues, but seemed to hold additional oaths beyond its simple phrases. Highly observant of the world around him, cautious. Perceptive. A tactical genius at the helm of a ship. Audacious in combat, nearly shy around those he was close to.

No. Vyse was not Galcian, Admiral Belleza decided.

She tried not to dwell on the question that statement engendered...that he might be  _ better _ than the man she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you seriously thought Belleza/Bellena would be able to seduce Vyse?  
> Other way around, honey.


	8. How Can I Trust You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team puts down their first Gigas, prepares for a suicidal voyage, and Vyse and Drachma have a long overdue talk...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Eight: How Can I Trust You**

* * *

 

_ The Central Desert _

_ 9 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


The  _ Lynx  _ lay on the desert sands, a smoking hulk with a massive hole bored through its port side and out through its starboard. Two whole decks were visible through the gash in the superstructure, and Vyse looked at it just to give himself a chance to  _ not _ stare at Admiral Belleza. His blood was still running hot after that fight, and from the one before it, when they had tried to face down Recumen.

He had stared into the four faces of death that belonged to the Red Gigas, Recumen, and somehow, he was still alive. They all were, in spite of Belleza’s master scheme. Their final victory didn’t make the sting of betrayal hurt any less. 

If he’d lined up the Harpoon Cannon’s shot any differently, he could have broken the  _ Lynx _ to the keel and turned the Valuan warship into two pieces of flaming death and scrap metal. Ordinarily, he would have said that mercy stayed his hand. 

Today, though,  _ necessity _ had spared the life of Belleza and her crew. He felt soft hands slip into both of his as both Aika and Fina hung by his side and squeezed supportively. It calmed him down. They were still alive.

It occurred to him that he might need to add to the Code of the Blue Rogues, for situations like this. 

“You’re...taking my engine.” Belleza said, stunned, a little put out as Drachma walked by them, a massive crate of moonstone fuel slung up onto the shoulder of his prosthetic arm. 

“It’s only fair.” Aika rebuked the older woman. Her red hair was still a little singed from where the blistering heat of Recumen’s red ray attack had scorched the side of the  _ Little Jack _ and burned away the paint. She tossed the Red Moon Crystal that they’d reclaimed from the admiral from hand to hand and shot her a withering look before glancing towards the now offline and immobile form of Recumen, half-buried in the sands already and soon to be gone by tomorrow. “I mean, you  _ did _ lie to us. Ambush us. Steal the Crystal you were too lazy to go after yourself. Oh...and then using it to  _ summon a Gigas _ to  _ attack us with? _ ” Her eyes were burning at the end, and Vyse allowed himself a small chuckle.

Okay, that cooled his own fire. He had no problems with Aika giving her a lot of flak. Thankfully, she’d stopped short of trying to claw the woman’s eyes out. He glanced over to Fina, and was only marginally surprised to see her glaring at Belleza with almost equal fury. The blond-haired Silvite balanced it with exasperation for Aika, though, as she reached out and plucked the pyramid-shaped piece of worked, ultra-refined Moonstone out of the redhead’s hands.

“Would you  _ stop _ playing with that? It’s not a toy!” Fina criticized Aika, turning her gaze on Belleza. “And its power is  _ not _ to be abused. People playing at being gods caused the Rains of Destruction thousands of years ago, and sundered the old world to ruin.” She opened her mouth a few more times as if to add to it, but settled for a shake of her head and went back to silence, hugging the Moon Crystal tightly to her stomach.

Vyse allowed his familiar smirk to surface as he addressed Belleza. “Only those who have walked through the desert can truly know its size.” He intoned. “Besides, we need that engine more than you do.”

“I imagine I know why.” Belleza said drily. “I overheard Fina there talking about the ‘Green Lands’ before you went into the Temple. You’re going to try and cross the Southern Ocean.” She looked past the three of them to Drachma, giving the old man’s back a dirty glare. “Which is why you’re also  _ stealing all our fuel stores.” _

“Stealing?” Vyse raised his eyebrows. “Well, I wouldn’t call it  _ that _ . And you need to stop calling us air pirates. We’re Blue Rogues.”

“Why does that matter so much to you?” Belleza asked, exhausted after their fight, but curious.

Aika answered for Vyse, forever his trusted second-in-command. “Because Black Pirates would have killed you all and taken  _ everything _ .” She growled out, finally giving full force to the outright murderous anger that she felt for Belleza, and the Valuans.

That he felt.

Belleza mustered a weak, conciliatory smile and nodded once. “I see. Very well. I will not make that mistake again.”

“And  _ because _ we’re such nice people, us Blue Rogues, you get to keep all of your food and water from your ship.” Vyse told her with forced cheer. “You’ll need it to make the trip back to Maramba, whereas  _ we  _ will be well on our voyage by the time you’re able to send for help and get a message back to your people. Keeps you out of our hair.”

“Fair enough.” Belleza conceded, throwing her hands up in surrender. “Just keep something in mind, Vyse. For one, nobody has ever crossed the Southern Ocean before. And two? The land you’re hoping to reach is called Ixa’taka. The Valuans know about it, and are already there. You’re coming in second in a one-man race.”

She was trying to get his dander up, Vyse knew. Trying to get him to blurt out something that she could use against them. She was a  _ witch _ , and had been spying on them, using them. Lies and half-truths were her weapons, and they cut deep. 

So he took a long moment to compose himself. Scratched at his chin. Yawned to hide a deep breath he took. “Don’t tell me that something’s impossible.” He countered. “It just makes me want to try for it even more. It’s a part of being a Blue Rogue, Belleza; Blue Rogues never give up.”

“I’ll remember that, handsome.” She smiled at him, still using the same pet word that she always had, regardless of persona. 

Vyse nodded, looked to Aika and Fina. “Keep an eye on them, make sure they leave all their weapons behind when they get their rations out of their hold.” He set a hand on Fina’s shoulder. “If they try anything, don’t hesitate. Stop the threat. All right?”

The Silvite blinked twice, swallowed. Looked at the Moon Crystal in her arms. He could see when she was remembering just how close to death they had come less than an hour ago. Her face darkened, and filled with dreadful determination. And her eyes flashed silver, ever so briefly.

“I will.” Fina vowed. Vyse nodded, let them be as he went after Drachma to finish packing up the new and powerful engine that would get them across the Southern Ocean.

That, and that magic cannon the  _ Lynx _ had used on them. It gave Vyse ideas.

 

***

 

_ Maramba _

_ The Following Evening _

  
  


With Admiral Belleza and her crew forced to wander out of the desert via the long and painful way of trudging through the shifting sands, the crew of the  _ Little Jack _ had plenty of time to sail for Maramba, where they could make drydock and see to the business of shoving a warship-rated engine into the back end of a heavily modified fishing boat. There were complications, of course, but after tussling through the traps, monsters, and mechanisms of the Temple of Pyrynn, Vyse and the girls were itching for another fight. Drachma was less so, but his presence and iron tenacity kept them covered when they ended up being cornered by the Larso Gang...which consisted of one tough as nails musclehead and the young son of the former gang leader.

They were still chuckling about it while Aika and Vyse tweaked with their newest piece of gear down in the engine room. 

“I still can’t believe that all that kid wanted to do was make carpets with his mom.” Aika snorted loudly, taking the wrench from Fina, who had elected to be an assistant, as she knew little about current engine design. In fact, she had made several faces already, and once muttered about their engines being ‘wasteful’ and ‘inefficient’. Not that she had any suggestions on how to make them any better; whatever the Silvites used was just too different. 

“I thought it was adorable.” Fina offered hesitantly. “It was his father who enjoyed that lifestyle. Not everyone has the same goals, after all. Rupee seemed like a very sweet boy. I was glad that you encouraged him, Vyse. He should be able to make some wonderful tapestries when he gets older.”

“He even offered us a discount.” Vyse finally said, grunting as he finished ratcheting the vibration dampening coils into place around the engine. They’d had to refabricate the entire housing, and the sale of the  _ Little Jack’s _ old engine had just barely covered the sale of the additional parts they had required. Aika had done her best to take every piece of gear she could think of to make the reinstallation easier, but the fact of the matter was they were doing a ship modification that  _ nobody in their right mind _ would have ever tried. 

But then, what was life without a challenge?

 

“Great.” Aika rolled her eyes. “We’ll come back in three years and get a discount, if Valua hasn’t taken over everything by then.”

“People will always need carpets.” Vyse suggested with a chuckle. “No matter what flag their ships fly.” He stood up and stretched out with a long groan, then cracked his back. “Damn.”

Aika looked over at him sympathetically. “With the size of this thing, it’s going to be a lot harder for you to stretch out in your hammock. It was crowded in here to begin with, and once we bring back in the moonstone stores…”

“I’ll figure something out.” Vyse said with a shrug. “Worst case scenario, I’ll hang up my hammock in the storeroom.”

“Maybe we should spend a little money while we’re still here in port. Get you something to make it more comfortable.” Aika mused. “A better blanket? An actual pillow, maybe?”

“Ah, I’ll be fine.” He tried to wave off the suggestion, but Aika got that stubborn, pouty look on her face. 

“Look here, mister.” She shoved the wrench back into Fina’s hands before stabbing him in the chest with her finger as hard as she could. “There’s only one reason we got through  _ any _ of the last few days alive, and it’s  _ you. _ So when I tell you that you need to take better care of yourself, I  _ expect you _ to listen!” The glare came on full force as she leaned in, forcing him to back up until his already abused spine had curved against the inactive moonstone engine. “You got it?!”

“Okay, okay!” He held up his hands in front of him in surrender. “Fine, I’ll go buy a damn pillow. Now, could you  _ please _ check the pressure fittings that connect to the turbine shafts? Before we power this thing on, I want to be damn sure that we’re not going to over-torque and cause a blowout. An engine this size, if it lost compression, would blast the ship apart.”

“No doi, genius.” Aika rolled her eyes. “It’s why we had to spend so much on the refit. What, you thought I was going to  _ re-use _ the old pipe fittings?” She gave him another shove for good measure, then checked the schematic charts they’d lifted from the  _ Lynx’s _ engine room. “2500 Lunnabars, maximum output pressure for these engines. With something that powerful, you need at  _ minimum _ 1.5 inch pipe rated at B1 Grade, or above.” She reached over and tapped the welds and pressure fittings she’d spent the morning working on. “These are Grade-A3. That’s Nasrian Fleet grade. And yes, I checked the stock before installing it. No warps, no obvious imperfections. We paid for quality, and that’s what we got.”

“And the Condensor?”

“Drachma said he got it overhauled in Valua during the Harpoon Cannon installation, so we’re good for another six months.” Aika paused. “Five months and three weeks. Give or take. Although, depending on how much hard sailing we’re looking at getting across the Southern Ocean? Might want to halve that and err on the side of caution.”

 

“Um. So, you’ve...done a lot of engine repairs, then?” Fina asked cautiously.

Vyse chuckled and decided to give Fina a bit of slack. He slung an arm over Aika’s shoulders and turned them to look at Fina.

“Well, being Blue Rogues, we can’t exactly dock at most places in Mid-Ocean to make repairs, so we learned to be a little more self-sufficient. Aika here was helping out with repairing the  _ Albatross _ back when we were 12. She learned how to repurpose a lot of Valuan tech as well, which is why after we get done with this, she’s also going to be installing that magic cannon we swiped as well.”

“And that, Fina, I expect you to help out with.” Aika said. “I...I can do a lot, but you need to make yourself useful around here as well.” Vyse caught a little bit of a hitch in her voice and looked over at her. Was she  _ blushing? _ Sometimes she ran hot and cold, but Aika really needed to learn how to take a compliment. 

Fina wasn’t discouraged in the least, she just smiled and bowed slightly. “Of course. After everything that’s happened, I have accepted that trouble will follow us. I don’t think I would be able to learn about your engines, but...I am happy to gain some understanding with your weapons.” 

 

“Aika, if you need any more help, let me know.” Vyse said, wiping his hands off onto a grease towel. “I need to finish going over our provisions.”

“You worried about what that crazy fortune teller lady said?” Aika asked. “I’ll admit, she was super cryptic.  _ Mind the currents, you cannot fight them forever? _ The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means whatever you want it to.” Vyse shrugged, giving the two women a wink. “That’s the trick to fortune telling.”

 

***

 

_ The Southern Edge (Just off the Star Sand Discovery) _

_ 11 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Evening _

  
  


The Valuan engine was eventually installed. The trick was tuning its powerful cycles to match up with the  _ Little Jack’s _ maneuvering fins and driveshaft, so that the ship wouldn’t shake itself to pieces or shear off. Aika, long a student of converting Valuan ship parts into a workable hash, thrived under the assignment, even earning a bit of rare praise from Drachma and a giggling smile from Fina that made her blush shyly.

She practically glowed when Vyse said she was the best mechanic he knew of, and he didn’t miss that, even though he didn’t comment on it. He couldn’t.

His own head and heart were still too jumbled up to be of any use to anyone beyond the mission. So that was what he did; he stuck to the mission.

 

They were anchored onto the last solid piece of land that was visible. To the east was a massive sky rift that seemed to stretch on for forever, where it was said that a ghost town called Esparanza resided. Another place he had never been, a place he couldn’t go to yet. Behind them to the north lay the mountain ridge that separated the lands of the Red Moon, and to the south…

To the south lay the Southern Ocean, a swath of sky filled with storms and cyclones that seemed to stretch on to eternity. And tomorrow morning, they were sailing into it, with no real idea of how long it would take them to cross it.

Vyse refused to air the notion that they couldn’t, that the Southern Ocean of storms was impassable. It went against everything he believed in. But he had one last thing to do before they departed.

The long-simmering font of his anger could not be held back any longer, and there was one member of his team that he hadn’t yet decided the fate of.

The fact that they were on his ship? Didn’t even factor in.

 

***

 

There were two cabins on the  _ Little Jack _ , and Drachma, naturally, used the largest one for himself. Aika and Fina had been assigned the other one, each splitting the bunk bed. It meant that in the dead of night, Drachma could be assured of some peace and quiet, and he was dead to the world when Vyse picked the lock on his door and snuck inside. The old man was dead to the world...right up until Vyse scraped the edge of his first cutlass across his whetstone.

The old sailor’s eye shot open and he lurched to a half sitting position, his arm coming up to wallop the intruder. He stilled when he caught sight of Vyse, lounging on the locked sea chest and bathed in a moonbeam that shone through the cabin’s porthole. 

“Boy.” Drachma tried to growl out. “What in blazes are ye’ doing in…”

“You and I need to  _ talk _ .” Vyse snapped back, low enough that his voice wouldn’t carry, heated enough that the interruption stopped Drachma’s drowsy protests dead in its tracks. He scraped his cutlass across the whetstone again, with practiced movements he’d spent years perfecting. “Now sit up,  _ captain _ .” 

Vyse could have sworn he saw Drachma shiver for a bit before he did so. 

 

“You left us.” Vyse said. He was in no mood to dance around the issue. Drachma, to his credit, kept silent. “You.  _ Left _ . Us. One rumor,  _ one _ , about Rhaknam, and you abandoned me and the girls in a distant port to fend for ourselves. With the Valuans at our backs and out for our blood, and the three of us without any means of securing a ship of our own. You could argue that leaving us in a port city is different than a deserted island, but that’s just sugarcoating what you did. You  _ marooned  _ us.”

“I came back.” Drachma muttered, though he couldn’t meet Vyse’s eyes as he said it. Vyse snarled through his nostrils. The old man couldn’t hide his guilt, even from himself.

“You should never have left in the first place.” Vyse went on, somehow finding the will to keep his tone of voice even. He wanted to scream and yell, but he didn’t. Because his father never had. 

Because Blue Rogues didn’t.

“Because you  _ marooned us _ in Maramba, we were forced to rely on the help of a  _ stranger _ . A woman that suckered us in with kind words, the offer of a free ship ride, and who turned out to be the most poisonous viper in that nest of snakes. Because you  _ abandoned us _ , Aika, Fina, and myself had to take on the Temple of Pyrynn on our own. The traps? The monsters? Even a freaking  _ treasure hunter _ who loved explosives? By the time we got out of there, we were  _ exhausted _ . Because we were exhausted, Admiral Belleza and her forces were able to overpower us. Take the Moon Crystal. Summon that Moons-damned  _ Gigas _ to kill us before using it to try and take over the world.”

“But we stopped it. I saved you all, we stopped it, and we won.”

 

Vyse stopped sharpening his cutlass and hurled it across the room at Drachma’s head. The old man yelped and ducked to the side as the blade embedded into the wall with a hard  _ thwack _ , and stared at it. He was worried. Good. Not like Vyse had actually planned on killing him; if he hadn’t moved, it would have just come within a few inches of his ear. Vyse lunged forward, and by the time Drachma had recovered, he found Vyse shoving him back against the headboard with his second cutlass wedged uncomfortably into the shoulder joint of his mechanical arm.

The threat was there; move, and Drachma lost the arm he fought with. Drachma didn’t move.

 

“It shouldn’t have  _ come to that!” _ Vyse hissed, and let the thin veil of control slip free. He was angry, and he finally let Drachma see it. The sight of the old man’s face going pale was prettier than a portrait. “You should have been there with us. We  _ should have _ been able to just fly and search for the Temple  _ ourselves _ . If you had been there, if you hadn’t  _ left us _ , Belleza, at  _ best _ , would have only been able to try and follow us at a distance! But because of your stupid  _ vendetta _ for Rhaknam, they almost won today. We were  _ almost killed _ .” He bared his teeth. “I. Almost.  _ Lost them. _ ” 

It was the unsteady breathing that must have signaled to Drachma that he could finally speak up. “No apology I give is going to be good enough for you, lad.”

“How can I trust you?” Vyse countered heatedly. “You need to give me an answer, Drachma, because right now, I  _ can’t _ . Right now, we’re in a race to stop Valua from getting the tools they need to take over the world. To stop the  _ end _ of the world. And there’s nobody else helping us. It’s me, and Aika, and Fina, and that’s it. I thought I could count on you too, until you pulled this bullshit stunt. So give me a reason why I can still trust you, and it had better be the best damn answer you’ve ever given in your long, miserable life. Because if it isn’t good enough, if you can’t get me to take you out of the  _ ‘liability’ _ category you’re currently marked in my mind as, then I swear by the Moons, I will do to  _ you _ what you did to  _ us _ .”

Vyse flicked his head towards the porthole. “We found Maroon Isle before we laid anchor. Easiest thing in the world to dump you there with water, bread, and a pistol with a single bullet to shoot yourself in the head with when you decide to end it.”

 

Drachma cocked his head to the side, considering Vyse. There something in how the old man looked at him that seemed to measure him up.

“You would actually do that.” Drachma rumbled softly. “And you wouldn’t do it because you’re angry, no. You wouldn’t do it because you’re afraid. You’d do it because of them.”

“My crew always,  _ always _ comes first.” Vyse said. “When I took the captain’s oath before my father, I swore on the Code of the Blue Rogues to look after them. Protect them.”

Drachma shut his eye. “You make a better captain than I did then, lad.”

“Why? Because of the Code?”

“No. Because your crew’s still alive.” Drachma muttered, and Vyse blinked. When Drachma opened his eyes again, there was resolution there, a fatigued acceptance.

The fires of vengeance had been banked, in Drachma’s eyes, and also in Vyse’s heart.

 

“You’ve been sailing my ship for days now.” Drachma sighed. “You want a reason to keep me around? Here it is. Starting tomorrow...I’ll take orders from  _ you _ . You want to lead? I won’t stop you. This is your quest, I’m just along for the ride. Where we’re headed, we all need to be on the same page. No apology I give will make up for what I did to you three. All I can do is try to never do it again.”

“...You actually do regret it.” Vyse realized.

“A minute after I left port.” Drachma admitted. “I was too much of a coward to come back and apologize, though. Kept arguing with myself the rest of the day and all night, when I saw the  _ Lynx _ prowling around in the stone reef.” The old man pointedly glanced over to the sword pressed up against his shoulder joint. “You mind?”

Vyse finally pulled the cutlass back and yanked his first one out of the wall, backing away from Drachma fast afterwards as the old man rolled his shoulder to test it out. Drachma gave him a look after. “You scurried fast, lad. Forgot you had it there?”

“No.” Vyse said. “I just figured you might try to punch me again.”

“It’s bad form to go punching your captain.” Drachma harrumphed, cracking a wry grin. “Just don’t be threatening me again, boy.”

“Don’t give me a reason to.”

“Heh. Fine.” Drachma rolled his eye. “Just don’t be expecting me to give up me bunk. You may be leading, but it’s still my ship.”

“An old man like you needs all the sleep he can get just to keep up with us.” Vyse snorted, as they fell back into taunting banter. “Keep the damn bed.” He tucked his cutlasses back into their scabbards and retrieved his whetstone from the floor. 

“So. Can you trust me, lad?”

“Depends.” Vyse said. “Do you trust me enough to care more about the crew you have now, than the crew you lost to Rhaknam before?”

“Aye.” Drachma said, after a pause. “And if we get the chance, if it doesn’t interfere with your mission…”

Vyse exhaled, nodded once. “Yes. We’d help you.”

Drachma nodded, and slumped back into his bed. “Get some sleep, boy. Tomorrow comes early.”

 

Vyse left Drachma’s quarters behind, heading for the storeroom where he’d rehung his hammock. The new engine was loud enough he could hear it through the wall at the same volume the old one had run at.

Tomorrow, they faced the Southern Ocean.

His crew was ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It always irked me that Drachma abandons you all in Maramba and sails off, and then when you see him again, he just rejoins the party and all is forgiven because lalala...Fact is, a betrayal like that needed to be discussed and reviewed.
> 
> Vyse just prefers to do it when the girls aren't around to judge.


	9. Sea of Storms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a long voyage through stormy skies takes Fina to the breaking point, and Aika helps her deal with it...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Nine: Sea of Storms**

* * *

 

_ The Southern Ocean _

_ 14 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Sailors who have only patrolled the shipping lanes between Valua, Nasr, and the rest of Mid-Ocean have no idea just how different the Southern Ocean can be. By the third day into their voyage, sailing against strong headwinds, Fina looked absolutely terrible. Not that Aika didn’t sympathize; the ongoing storms kept them from going out on the deck most of the time.

_ We’re only three days sailing into the Southern Ocean. Have we made any headway at all? _

 

Vyse and Drachma took turns at the helm, and Aika realized that the old man and her partner were actually  _ getting along. _ When did they work  _ that _ out? Whatever they said to each other while she wasn’t looking, it really wasn’t any of her business. She was just glad that Drachma wasn’t backhanding Vyse like the crazy one-eyed geezer had when they first met up.

There were no landmarks for them to go off of. Once the coastline of the Nasrian lands had faded into the clouds, there was only the sky rift to their starboard and their compass for orientation.

And the winds. The moaning, howling winds. Vyse wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, he was stubborn even beyond what the Code called for, but she could tell that he was more than a little cowed by what they were going up against. It was like the entire world was pushing back against them, as the blowing gale from the swirling typhoons they could just make out ahead threw off such strong headwinds that their airspeed was cut in half. Today, though, was especially bad. They were moving at about a quarter of their normal airspeed. 

The conditions were bad enough that she moved down to the engine room, investigated the moonstone furnace, then the impellers and the driveshafts. They were all running hot, and she slathered them with extra grease so the metal didn’t overheat and cause the engine to seize up and turn itself into slag. She could say one thing about the Valuans; they knew how to make a decent engine. With the rattling and shaking that the  _ Little Jack _ ’s suffering, she tried to do most of the maintenance at arm’s length, even using a wooden mixing stick to put on the grease. There was a reason she never wore loose clothing. If Fina had come down in that  _ stupid loose dress of hers _ while she was working on the  _ active engine _ , she would have yelled at the Silvite and forced her to clear out.

Fina never did come down into the engine room, though.

 

***

 

_ 16 Days After The Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


In the morning, Aika groaned and rolled out of her bunk, only half-expecting to see Fina still up in the top bed. That had been the pattern when they’d been sailing through Mid-Ocean towards Maramba; Fina slept in, Aika woke with the sun.

Now, though, Fina was like a bundle of nervous energy. Or just nerves. The second morning in their voyage, she’d found the girl running wind sprints up and down the steps at the ungodly hour of five bells. The fourth morning, Fina had been peeling potatoes for a breakfast that never quite got eaten, thanks to a sudden squall that took all of them to ride out safely.

Aika sighed when she found the bunk empty and the bed made. Discipline was good to have on a ship, but Fina took neatness to an almost compulsive level. Like it would kill the blonde to leave her bed unmade  _ one stinking time. _

“All right, Princess, what are you doing  _ this _ morning?” Aika muttered balefully. She took care of her chamber pot, splashed some water in her face, brushed her hair out and tied it back into her usual pigtails, and got dressed for the day. In all, it only took her about five minutes.

 

The winds were still blowing away, but there was actual sunlight for once. After a perfunctory search of the lower decks and the wheelhouse, where a less-than-perky Drachma gave her a grunt and reminded her to kick Vyse out of bed if he didn’t report for helmsman duty at seven bells, Aika found the only other girl on their tiny little ship out on the foredeck, her pet Cupil slowly hovering around her. The thing was shimmering blue, but Fina wasn’t paying it any attention. She just kept staring to the south, to the distant cyclones that spun on in the distance without a care for the four souls trying to sail around them.

“You’re up early.” Aika ventured carefully. “Again.”

“I’ve slept enough.” Fina said, soft as ever. She didn’t look back at Aika, and the sense of alarm built up a little higher in the redhead’s mind. “How is the engine doing?”

“Holding up, but we’ll need to find some place to anchor. In a few days, if we can.” 

“I’m not sure there’s a place like that out here.” Fina sighed. “But we’ll keep our eyes open.”

“Hey.” Aika walked up next to her, put a hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

Fina flinched at her touch, and when she looked over to Aika, the Blue Rogue could see the heavy bags under her eyes, and a twitchiness that Fina had never shown before.

Fina stiffly stepped away from Aika. “I’m fine.”

“But…”

“I’m  _ fine. _ ” Fina repeated, with a touch of heat in her voice. 

“Okay. Okay.” Aika said, going for a reassuring tone. Something was eating at Fina, she knew that much. But if the girl wanted to keep it to herself, that was her business. Aika hated the people who kept prying at things that they had no right to get involved in. Still, she had to do something to get Fina’s mind off of whatever was chewing at her. “So, tell me more about the Green Lands. What did that bitch of an admiral call them? Ixa’taka?”

“The Green Civilization.” Fina nodded, and her face seemed a little less gaunt as she drew in a breath and went into ‘teaching mode’, as Aika liked to think of it. “The Green Moon is associated with growth, renewal, vitality, and healing. The lands beneath it…”

Aika leaned on the railing, giving Fina half of her attention while she considered what challenges they might have to prepare for over the rest of the day.

She’d have to come up with something for the four of them to do that didn’t involve maintenance and sailing to improve the morale.

 

***

 

_ Mid-Afternoon _

 

Aika’s first idea was to play games. For lack of a more open spot to play in, and due to always needing  _ someone _ at the wheel to drive the  _ Little Jack _ while they continued south, they sat down around the stairs in an odd L formation, with Drachma tending the helm while Vyse sprawled out at an angle to Fina, and Aika sitting on the stairs sidewards in case she needed to run down towards the engine room suddenly. Drachma and Vyse switched off every hand, while Aika and Fina were permanent players in the three-man game of ‘Sailor’s Hand’. 

Fina glanced over the top of her cards, glancing between Vyse and Aika with a scrutinizing stare. She tried to be surreptitious, but Aika still caught her tells. The Silvite was still too distracted and unfocused to manage her nonverbal cues, and she was trying to be sneaky, when she had no reason to be. 

“I...I’ll take two.” Fina finally said, placing two cards facedown and sliding them over towards Aika and the deck. Aika hrrmed and drew two cards off of the deck, tossing them over to her. Vyse sat on his hand, his mouth giving away nothing. His habit of constantly wearing his telescopic goggle, however, allowed Aika to catch the small twitch in his eyebrow. 

“I’ll keep what I’ve got.” Vyse said. Aika smiled.  _ Yeah, try and bluff me. _

“In that case, I’ll take...three.” Aika said, and Vyse glanced up to her once.   _ That’s right, I have a pair. Or that’s what I want you to think.  _ She didn’t, though; she held onto an ace and a king. And the three she got from the deck…

_ Two pairs, deuces and kings. _

 

They weren’t playing for stakes, mostly because Fina had nothing to bet with, although Aika wouldn’t be surprised if Vyse wasn’t also afraid of losing his shirt. This  _ was _ her preferred game, after all. 

“I call.” Aika said, glancing to the other two. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” 

Vyse led off. “One pair.” He grunted.

Aika grinned and laid down her own hand. “Two pair. Can you beat that, Fina?”

The Silvite made a face and laid her own cards down. “No.” Aika was about to crow in victory until she caught sight of the blonde’s hand. No face cards, not a straight…

_ But they were all cups. _

“...You’ve got a flush, Fina.” Aika ground her teeth together.

“What’s that?”

Vyse laughed and slapped his knee. “It’s when all of your cards are in the same suit. And yes, it’s good. It means you win.”

“Beginner’s luck.” Aika muttered, picking up the cards and shuffling them all back together again. 

 

“Boy, get up here.” Drachma snapped out, and the moment of levity was snapped in a heartbeat. “I need another set of eyes, and it’s gettin’ dark.” In a flash, Vyse was up on his feet and racing to the front of the wheelhouse, hissing as he stared out of the window. 

“Damn. Another cyclone?”

“Aye. We’ll have the devil’s time gettin’ around this one.”

“Yeah. I’m seeing its rotation.” Vyse tapped his boot on the decking, then glanced back to Aika. “How’s the engine? And our fuel supply?”

“Running warm, and we’re burning through our moonstone fuel faster than I thought we were going to.” Aika said, already not liking how he phrased the question. When Vyse started asking for details, it meant he was coming up with a crazy idea. The look he sent her made her swear and go running for the engine room to coax it through the ordeal.

His solution was certifiably crazy. Nobody else would have thought to fly  _ into _ the outer layer of a cyclone and  _ ride it _ to squeeze off extra momentum before bursting free and coasting further on to the south. They actually made good time for a few hours after that.

 

Aika was too tired afterwards to do more than bring Vyse a cold sandwich and a drink while the sharp-eyed Blue Rogue kept them flying through the night shift. Fina was already up in her own bunk when she shuffled into their quarters, a lump buried under the blankets.

She was too tired to give more than a moment’s notice to her friend. 

Too tired to recognize the girl’s sniffling for what it actually was.

 

***

 

_ The Southern Ocean _

_ 19 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


They had pushed the  _ Little Jack _ hard and fast, but after a week of rotating shifts, harrowing escapes through a field of never-ending cyclones, and constant gale-force winds, they finally sighted a small patch of barren, rocky land at the lower edge of middle sky. It was barely four times as large as their ship itself, but somehow it stubbornly held position in spite of the buffeting winds. With the ship’s standard anchors of no real use in the high winds, the Harpoon Cannon was given new purpose; charged only to an eighth of its usual strength, the shot burrowed the spiraling prong far enough into the rock to act as an effective cam anchor without destroying the rocky island outright. They’d eased off on the throttle until the rope’s slack was gone and waited for an agonizing five minutes before determining that neither they, nor the stubborn little rock, was going anywhere. Only then, much to Aika’s relief, did Drachma and Vyse finally kill the power to the engines, allowing the  _ Little Jack  _ to rest. They all slept like the dead, and it was ten bells the next morning before Aika finally dragged herself out from underneath the covers and mustered to the galley.

Drachma was still sleeping, but Vyse was there, peeling loqua fruit and downing brewed tea as fast as he could make it. He seemed barely awake, in spite of the caffeine.

“You look like hell, Vyse.” Aika observed, grabbing a mug and stealing his next brewed cup for herself. 

“Why, thank you.” He said, rolling his eyes at her as she sat down across from him. He was still tired, but a full night’s rest, with the relief of knowing that the ship was moored properly had drained a lot of tension out of him. “Got any plans today?”

“Just making sure we didn’t burn the engine or the driveshafts out. You know. The usual, making sure we don’t die out here.” Aika snarked back at him. “You?”

“While we’re anchored, I thought I’d go make an examination of the foredeck and the outer parts of the ship. It’s a miracle we haven’t been blasted by debris, but with as much hidden armor plating as this ship has, I wouldn’t put it past this stupid permanent weather pattern to blast us with a lightning bolt or two.” He rubbed at his chin. “Not every shudder we felt over the last few days was just from gusting winds, I imagine.”

“Oh, joy. Just what I wanted to hear.” Aika groaned. “Should I get Fina to check around inside of the  _ Little Jack _ , make sure we haven’t picked up any holes?”

“If she’s up.” Vyse shrugged. The way he nonchalantly shrugged off giving Fina mandatory work rankled Aika.

“If she’s up?  _ If she’s up? _ ” She pushed away from the table and glared at him. “What, like she’s special? That she doesn’t have to chip in if she doesn’t  _ feel like it? _ ”

Vyse just stared back at her, not shocked, not really surprised at all. Just chewing away at his breakfast. She opened her mouth to start another rant, but stuttered to a stop when he raised a hand, took a long drink of his tea, and cleared his throat.

“Did you know Fina hasn’t been sleeping that much?” Vyse asked her. “I get the feeling that where she comes from, her people don’t deal with a lot of storms. So far, the Southern Ocean has been just...one, giant, unending typhoon, with the rain being optional. I hear her at night sometimes. Pacing. Checking on things. Sometimes, I’ve even gone out and stayed up with her for a bit to try and tire her out enough to sleep after.”

Aika gripped the edge of the table hard. Oh, she was fuming. Trying to  _ tire her out? _ What the  _ hell _ was Vyse doing to  _ tire her out _ ? That...that  _ hussy _ , hiding behind that sweet face of hers, charming Vyse with her act, making him feel like some kind of heroic knight saving the damsel?

“Aika.” Vyse sighed. Aika came back to herself, growled.

“What?” She snapped at him. He gave her another one of his patented ‘don’t look at me like that, you’re getting angry for no good reason’ expressions.  _ “What _ , Vyse?”

He reached across the table, grabbed hold of her wrist. Surprise made her relax enough for him to tug her around the galley’s small table and then pull her fist open, resting his hand in hers.

Vyse squeezed her hand gently. “Something is wrong with her, I can feel it. But she never gives me a straight answer.”

“And what, you think she’ll tell me?” Aika rolled her eyes.

“Maybe. You’ve got a lot of heart, Aika. And you wear it out on your sleeve for everyone to see.” He stood up, swallowed the last of his breakfast. Before she could react, he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ve got to get to work. Do what you can for her. Maybe show her how to do some other things around the ship so she can stay busy.”

Her face bright red as her forehead tingled, Aika nodded mutely. Vyse smiled at her one last time, then took off to manage his chores.

Aika rubbed at her lips with her fingertips, trying to mirror the warm tingling she felt above her eyes.

_ You missed. _

 

***

 

The  _ Little Jack _ ’s new engine had been run hard, and it turned out to need a reprieve just as badly as its crew had. Aika had been forced to take some of it apart so she could clean out and re-lubricate the interior components. The driveshafts, thankfully, just took a little more grease before they were back in shape. The issue of Fina, she ignored at the start, and by the time she got through her work, it was completely forgotten. Until she found the Silvite girl working in the lower decks, hanging up wet laundry on a clothesline strung along the hallway. Aika went facefirst into one of Drachma’s shirts and squawked in protest.

“Oh, sorry!” Fina’s footsteps shuffled over to her, and the garment was pulled away to show the blonde’s worried face. “This seemed like the best place to do this. You were down in the engine room, and Captain Drachma would never have allowed it up in the wheelhouse, and the storage…”

“I get it.” Aika grumbled, rubbing at her head and ducking under the clothesline. Staring at all the clean laundry just reinforced how grubby her own clothes had gotten, which made her scowl all the more. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Fina fidgeted at that. “I have to do something. I figured that doing laundry was...something useful.”

“It never hurts.” Aika admitted, letting her scowl slip away. She wanted to stay angry, but right then she was just too tired to build up a full head of steam. And she remembered what Vyse had tried to drive into her head when she’d stolen his tea in the morning. To try and take a chance. 

So she quieted her own thoughts and looked at Fina. Really looked at her.

The girl looked so  _ tired _ , for one thing. And she was fidgety, shifting her weight back and forth while her eyes danced around. Looking for... _ looking for what? _

“Fina.” Aika said, watching and taking notice when the girl nearly jumped out of her skin. The howling of the winds outside was strong and omnipresent, the  _ Little Jack _ rocked unsteadily in the gale.

And then Aika understood, and felt guilty. She reached a hand out to Fina’s elbow. Smiled. She couldn’t come at the Silvite directly. “I need to get changed into some clothes that aren’t coated in sweat and engine oil. Afterwards, though, do you think you could help me out with something?”

Fina brightened up instantly. “Certainly!” And she actually seemed pleased about it. Pleased to be useful.

Or distracted.

 

***

 

Much to Aika’s relief, a thorough examination of the ship’s interior revealed no blast-through damage from the Southern Sea. Given how many repairs they’d had to do after the fight with Admiral Belleza’s ship, it was a welcome victory. There was one blown-out porthole in Drachma’s cabin, but they had the supplies to board it up on hand, and Fina’s pet Cupil showed just how versatile it actually was; the small creature took on the form of a hammer.

It could have done the work itself, but after a bit of teasing from Aika, Fina had knuckled down and started on the hammering herself. Between the two, they had started a steady rhythm of companionable silence.

“This happens often then?” Fina asked, when they were both stopped and going for more nails. “Ship repairs?”

“More than you’d think.” Aika admitted with a weak laugh. “There’s more to being a Blue Rogue than sticking it to Valua. We do rescues, help out folks who can’t help themselves, and you’d be hard pressed to find a Blue Rogue who wasn’t a trader or merchant in their off time. So Dyne taught me, and Vyse to a lesser extent, the basics. Survival skills, how to handle minor repairs, search and rescue. Fighting was actually the  _ last _ thing we ended up learning.”

“Really?” Fina was surprised by that, and paused with the next nail pressed up on the boarded window to look at Aika. “But you two are so good at it.”

Aika breathed and started pounding on her next nail.  _ We weren’t always _ , she thought.

Fina fidgeted for a bit, then started hammering herself, mirroring the redhead’s pattern.

 

“You wanted to ask something.” Aika surmised, after their second nails of the round were driven in.

“I wasn’t sure if I should. It might not be polite.”

_ And there’s your opening _ , Aika told herself. She turned to face the blonde-haired girl.

“Tell you what, Princess.” She said to Fina. “You ask me a question, I ask you a question. Fair?”

She could tell that Fina was hesitant about it; the girl still loved to keep her secrets. But the time for secrets was done. They were in the crucible, Man Vs. Nature as the storytellers liked to put it, and there was no time for the distractions of half-truths and doubt.

The Silvite seemed to gird herself up, stood a little straighter, and nodded. “I go first?”

“If you want.”

“That...bounty hunter we ran into before we crossed the stone reef into Nasrian airspace. Piastol? The moment she saw the scar on Vyse’s face, she seemed to…” Her voice fell off, but came back stronger as Fina’s piercing blue eyes met Aika’s again. “How did Vyse get that scar?”

Aika laughed softly. An easy question. “He got it saving my life.” Fina raised both eyebrows, as if asking for an elaboration. “You want more than that, it’s another question.”

“I’ll risk it.”

“In that case...we were ten years old. It was our first real mission with Captain Dyne on the  _ Albatross _ . We’d been sailing, carrying a load of goods to one of the smaller settlements in Mid-Ocean who didn’t feel like paying the Valuan import fees for what they needed to survive.” Aika set her hammer down and leaned back against the now repaired wall, folding her arms thoughtfully. “The charge we had them pay was less than the Valuan export tax, still a hefty amount, but still affordable.”

“I’m still new to money, but it seems ridiculous for Valua to put such a high tax on goods they would ship out.”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Fina snorted. “Before they went full-on mad power grab, they were still expanding their empire, they were just a touch more subtle about it. Why bother sending an armed fleet to demand that an island swear fealty to Valua and join the empire when you can just tax them to death for being a ‘foreigner’, and get them to beg to join just so they can be free of the export surtax?”

Fina’s face darkened as she realized another facet in the depth of Valua’s ambitions. “Join us or starve. Was that it?”

“Pretty much.” Aika shrugged. “It gets you the weak people...but the  _ strong ones _ found other ways to get by. So there we were, sailing out, when we came across a Valuan warship that was burning to the keel along our shipping lane, listing heavily and ready to sink into the Deep Sky. Code of the Blue Rogues said we rendered assistance to those who needed it, so...we went. Full mobilization. Which included me and Vyse. When we got on board, though, we didn’t see any signs of air combat. No cannonfire damage at all. The decks and the halls were  _ filled _ with corpses of Valuan soldiers, and we were just about to declare it a lost cause and get off the ship ourselves before we went down with it. Then out of nowhere, this girl in a dress came screaming at us and hurled a dagger right for me. Her aim was scary good. I would have ended up dead if Vyse hadn’t reacted, shoved me out of the way at the last second. A fatal blow for me became a glancing blow along the side of his face. She ran off before we could do anything else, and I figure that she died on that ship. My focus was in getting Vyse to our ship’s medic.”

Fina dug her toe into the decking. “Was the damage that bad?”

“No, not really.” Aika admitted. “The medic started to patch it up so it would be a lot thinner, but the stupid idiot got it into his head that he wanted to  _ keep _ a scar out of the experience. Boys, right?” She rolled her eyes, and Fina giggled. “The jerk was  _ insufferable _ for a month afterwards. He didn’t hold it over my head, no, but he strutted around, proud as a peacock. Kept saying he was a blooded Blue Rogue after that, until he finally worked on his father’s last nerve and Dyne threw him into combat training so that would never happen again. We were always friends, his family raised me until I was old enough to take care of myself, but after that, we were inseparable.”

 

Fina smiled as the story came to an end. “He’s very brave, isn’t he?”

“Brave? Yeah, although there are some days I think he’s more crazy than anything else. Still.” Aika chuffed. “Now, then. I believe I get two questions out of  _ you _ , Princess.”

Fina sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself. “Okay.”

She must have thought she was ready. Aika went straight for the incendiary round. “Why can’t you sleep?” Fina flinched at it, and Aika knew she’d landed a bullseye. 

“I...I don’t...I don’t want to answer that one.”

“We made a deal.” Aika growled out. Fina backed away from her, but Aika pushed off the wall and matched her step for step until Fina had backed up against the cabin door, unable to go further. She wasn’t going to let Fina worm her way out of this one. “You have to answer it.”

Fina shut her eyes, shook her head wildly. Cupil, who had been hovering by the plank in hammer form, changed back to his usual pudgy shape and skimmed over, wrapping himself around her wrist. Fina stroked her transformed pet several times...a nervous habit, Aika realized. She’d caught the girl doing it before.

“I know about bad weather.” Fina admitted. “We...I studied it, when I was growing up. But the Silver Civilization didn’t have to deal with storms like this. Like the thunderclouds over Valua. It’s just so much noise, and shaking, and movement. You’re used to it, you and Vyse and Captain Drachma. And I know that as long as you’re not worried, I shouldn’t be. But I can’t help how I  _ feel _ about it. And at night, when you’re all quiet, and it’s just me and that  _ terrible whistling and moaning _ , all the time, rattling the  _ Little Jack _ ...”

Aika nodded once, stepped back. Gave her room to breathe, because Fina’s already pale skin was going paler as she kept talking about it.

“Okay.” Aika said, bringing her out of it. “Okay, that, I can work with. Second question. Why? Why are you trying to deal with this yourself?”

“Because it’s my problem.” Fina said stubbornly. “I promised myself I wouldn’t be weak. That I wouldn’t be  _ useless. _ ”

Aika blinked. There was that word again.  _ Useless. _ She had thought Fina was over it by now, but that wasn’t the case. There went her jealousy, flying out the window again to be replaced by shame. Moons, what was it about this girl that made her such a mess? She kept trying to hate her for being there, getting in the way of Aika’s attempts to win over Vyse, but then Fina would do something or say something that just...cleaned the board off.

“Which is why you keep running around, trying to do things. Because you’re trying to distract yourself.” Fina flinched at that remark, and Aika gave herself another mental fist-pump.  _ Two for two. _ “But you’re not helping yourself, and you’re not helping us when you’re like this. Okay? You don’t have to deal with it on your own. We’re your friends. Your shipmates. And you’re not useless.” She held out a hand to the blonde. “Okay? You have a problem, don’t just sit on it. You come to us.” Aika paused, then shook her head as her envy flared up again. “No, scratch that. You come to  _ me. _ ”

Fina’s sparkling blue eyes glistened from her earlier outburst. “Why?”

Aika paused for just half a second at that, long enough to keep from snapping out her flip response.  _ Because I don’t trust you around Vyse.  _ “Vyse and Drachma are plenty busy piloting the ship and keeping us from being blown off course. And besides, it’ll save me having to wake up and hearing you whimpering and keeping it all to yourself,  _ Princess. _ ” She reached over and gently rubbed the top of the girl’s head through her silvery headdress.

Fina giggled and pushed her hand off. “Okay, okay. Next time.”

“Good.” Aika breathed out. Feeling time was over with. She was a lot better at good-natured ribbing. 

“Why do you keep calling me Princess, anyways?” Fina pressed on. Aika groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Really? A third question? I don’t have another one prepared for you, Fina.”

“Then you could...hold onto it, I suppose. For when you do come up with one.” The Silvite pressed. “But I’m curious. I told you and Vyse that we don’t have nobility, we don’t have royalty. But you still keep referring to me by that title. Is it a term of endearment? Are you making fun of me?”

Aika sighed, walked back to the far wall with the boarded up window, and started picking up the ship repair supplies lying by it. “To be honest...probably a little of both.” She admitted, wondering right after why she was opening herself up this much. “I mean, there are times that I either want to yell at you or shake you around a little, but then I remember that you saved my life. I was dying, and...and you  _ brought me back. _ ” She bit her lip at that.  _ Damnit.  _ “I told you before that you weren’t weak, that you weren’t useless. But then you go and do something like this, and I just want to scream because it never seems to stick in that big fact-filled brain of yours. So. No, I don’t  _ hate _ you. You’re my friend.”

Aika finished packing up the supplies and hoisted them up, tucking the other board they hadn’t ended up using under her arm. She turned and looked back at Fina. “But even friends can get irritated with one another.”She let off a predatory smile. “Just ask Vyse how many times I’ve kicked his ass.”

Fina giggled again at that, the tense moment passed. They both started to breathe again. “Okay.” The Silvite bowed slightly. “Apology accepted.”

Aika’s cheeks puffed out indignantly. “I didn’t...Hey, that wasn’t an apology!” Fina just laughed, and Aika groaned as the other girl opened up the cabin door for her.

“Come on.” Aika said to her friend. “Let’s put this stuff away, and then how about I show you how to cook a  _ proper _ meal?”

 

***

 

_ The Southern Ocean _

_ 31 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


In all, it took them nearly three weeks to brave the first leg of the voyage to Ixa’taka. Eventually, though, the stormclouds faded. The sea of typhoons slipped behind them, and with cold air coming off of the sky rift to their south, the  _ Little Jack _ turned east into an entirely different ordeal. If they had thought the winds had been terrible before, they had sorely misjudged the strength of them. The typhoons had been fed by the powerful currents flowing from the west, and had actually worked as a buffer. Now, though, they were screaming down the length of a natural wind tunnel, and the ship struggled for every nautical mile. At least they could see where they were going; the moons battled for supremacy at night, with the purple moon, the silver moon, and the green moon all standing at various azimuths, but never with one of them dominant over the other. To the relief of Aika, who had continued to maintain the engine, this stretch of the Southern Ocean was dotted with far more floating patches of land, all of them worn down by the wind, sharpened and jagged with little natural growth. There were places to fire the Harpoon Cannon and anchor for much needed rest and repairs, but the leeward side of the stones were also home to some very disobliging creatures as well. Green Loopers and worse things besides became a perennial pain, and the four of them found themselves doing battle on the foredeck to protect their ship from the patches of monsters that came after the new presence. But after they were scared off and away, it became safe enough for them to try for some shut eye and take a tally of their progress.

The four of them stood around the charting wall in the wheelhouse, with Vyse sticking up a map he had been meticulously filling in over the whole of their voyage, including landmarks, distance, and dangers.

“We’ve turned a corner. Figuratively and literally.” Vyse started out. “I think we’ve entered into an entirely different zone of the Southern Ocean, although we have no idea how far it goes on for. Still, monster battles aside, the greater density of floating rock formations means that we can make more frequent stops...and there’s more wind and fewer tempests.” He glanced over to Aika. “How’s our fuel supply looking?”

“Not as good as I’d like.” Aika muttered, pulling up her own notebook. “We’ve been sailing for three weeks and so far we’ve gone through about 45 percent of our moonstone stores...that includes what we took off of Belleza’s ship as well. The fact is, based on yesterday and today’s readings, we’ll be consuming our fuel at one and a half times the rate we were before. The winds here are just too intense. With no idea of just how far this stretch of the journey is going to take, we’re going to need to figure out a way to sail smarter and reduce the load on the engine.”

“I know what’s causing it, at least.” Fina suggested. She was as pale as ever, though she was holding up. “The Lands of Ice are likely south of us, and the cold air is racing out and joining up with the warmer tropical currents coming off of the Green Lands. It’s the combination of the two that’s been making the weather this terrible.” She ducked her head. “Although I had no idea it would be this bad.”

 

Drachma stroked at his chin thoughtfully, the more seasoned sailor quickly searching for a solution. “Drafting.” He finally announced. 

“Come again?” Aika blinked at his suggestion, caught off guard by the unfamiliar word. 

“It’s something that birds and schools of skyfish do.” Drachma explained. “They fall in line behind a leader; the foremost creature takes on the brunt of the wind resistance, and partially shields those behind it. When it tires, it falls back and another one in the flight moves forward to take the lead position. It’s how they conserve energy when flying into headwinds. I think we could manage something similar ourselves.”

Aika watched as the gears in Vyse’s head began spinning, and he fell upon Drachma’s meaning with his usual flash of intuitive genius. The Blue Rogue laughed and slapped his knee. “Right! We’ll just draft behind all the islands in the current! We’ll island hop our way to Ixa’taka! Brilliant idea, Drachma.”

Aika leaned over and nudged Fina in her side. “See? Old people  _ can _ have good ideas every now and then.”

“Oi!” Drachma barked out, as the two girls laughed at him. “All right, fine. Meeting’s adjourned with that, I’m thinking.” The old sailor patted Vyse on the shoulder and headed down the steps. “Fina! I could be usin’ a hand with the cooking.” Fina meeped in surprise and quickly started following his footsteps. 

That left Aika alone with Vyse for a rare opportunity when there was nothing going on, and she ended up smirking a little. Of course Vyse went and ruined the chance by being all noble. He sighed loudly and looked at her. “How’s Fina doing?”

“Hanging in there.” The redhead told him. “I’m hoping that she’ll be able to turn it around some, now that we’re out of Typhoon Alley.”

“Typhoon Alley?” His eyebrow quirked up a little. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“What, you had a better name for it?” She challenged him, cocking a fist at her waist. 

“Maybe!” He said, but wilted when she kept staring at him. “Okay,  no, I didn’t have a better name for it.”

Aika let out a little noise of victory and leaned in towards him. The hell with it, she was going to go for it. Going for her most sultry expression, she reached a hand up and ran her fingers through his hair above his right ear. “See? You really ought to listen to me more. I’m just full of... _ good ideas.” _ The last part she whispered into his ear as she came in even closer, catching the smell of the hard soap he used to wash with. 

Vyse shivered at her proximity, and stepped back away from her. “And terrible ones.” He deflected with a nervous laugh, rubbing a hand through his hair to muss it up the way he liked it. “You thought that we would burn to death out on the open desert by Maramba, but that didn’t happen.” 

Disappointed, Aika lowered her arm and turned around, not really staring at the chart hanging there. “Vyse, you’re such an idiot sometimes.” She whispered.

“Eh? Did you say something, Aika?” Vyse quickly asked, confused.

 

She brushed a fingertip over her eyes once, then shook her head. “Nothing, Vyse. Just...talking to myself.”

“Well, enough woolgathering. I think we’ve got enough time before dinner to get some combat practice in.” Vyse happily changed the subject. “Want to duel with me, for old time’s sake?”

She did, of course, though not without some regrets. He really was clueless.

 

***

 

_ 35 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


It was the dead of night, the  _ Little Jack _ was clamped down two islands past the Sky Anenome they’d discovered, and the winds continued to howl away. It made getting to sleep an interesting proposition, but Aika had enough practice by now to gut through it.

At least, she would have, if it hadn’t been for another noise. 

Fina was whimpering again. Aika put up with it for about two minutes, then groaned and kicked her foot into the bottom of the upper bunk, jarring her roommate.

“Fina. You okay?” She got no response from the other girl, and so she flung the blanket back and pushed herself up and out of bed. Aika stood up and looked at Fina, curled in around herself with Cupil wrapped around her head in the form of a pair of earmuffs. It had been an idea Aika had come up with a few nights back, when Fina said that the noises were still getting to her. 

As Aika’s hand gently rocked her shoulder, Fina’s eyes snapped open. The Cupil earmuffs pulled back a little ways.

“They’re not helping?” Aika asked wearily. Fina’s eyes misted up as she shook her head.

“I can still feel it.” The blonde-haired girl whispered. “The ship, shaking. The wind, blowing us around. Like we’re going to be torn apart.” The tears came faster now. “I’m going mad, Aika. I just...I want it to be over. Please.”

“You know that’s impossible.” Aika pointed out. “We’ve probably got weeks ahead of us yet.”

Fina clamped her eyes shut at that. “Then...you have medicines, right? Could you just, give me something? Something so that I could sleep through all of this?”

Aika drew in a breath at that. They had painkillers, of course, but her training only allowed for their use in critical situations. Using them to put someone into a dreamless sleep…

“I can’t do that, Fina.” She told the Silvite carefully. “I won’t do that to you, I’m not going to turn you into an addict.”

“And this is  _ better? _ ” Fina sobbed, dragging her fingernails across her face. Aika hissed in shock; she was digging into her skin hard enough to leave trails of red. Maybe even draw blood if she kept it up.

Aika’s resolve crumbled at that. She let out a sigh and climbed up the side of the bunk. “Scoot over.”

“Wuh...what?”

“Scoot. Over.” Aika repeated, making it an order. She was tired, and cranky, and just wanted to  _ sleep _ . And Fina needed rest just as badly. So, there was only one way she could make it work.

Fina made room in the small bunk, and Aika slipped in behind her, pulling the blanket over them. She pulled the girl back against her chest, and Fina squeaked from the pressure of Aika’s hand against her stomach.

“Don’t think about the ship’s vibrations.” Aika yawned. “Can you feel my heart beating? Against your back?”

“Um...yes.” Fina whispered. She had been shaking at first but was now as stiff as a rail, while Aika’s toned frame and arms fairly melted around the curvier girl. 

“Put your Cupil earmuffs back on, close your eyes, and just feel my heartbeat.” Aika said, already dozing off again. The bed was warm from Fina’s body heat, and with her nose pressed up against the back of Fina’s head, she could pick up the faintest scent of some flower; a remnant of the headdress she wore during the day. “And get some sleep already. I’m tired.”

“I’ll try.” Fina stammered out, and Cupil slipped back over her head again. She must have been more panicked than Aika had originally thought, because Aika could feel her thundering heartbeat through her hand, resting against Fina’s soft stomach. 

Eventually, though, Fina finally did calm down. What little shaking she had left stopped. Her pulse evened out. Her breathing deepened.

Half asleep herself, Aika quirked her mouth up into a smile.  _ Thank the Moons. _

 

For a change, they both slept without incident. And Fina’s smile seemed a little brighter and a little less forced the next day.

 

***

 

_ 40 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


“It seems like Fina’s doing a lot better.” Vyse said, one day while he and Aika were getting lunch ready. “She doesn’t seem as tired as she used to be, and she’s really picking up the slack around here.”

“Laundry  _ is  _ important.” Aika chuckled. “If she keeps it up, she might actually turn out to be a better crewmate than  _ you _ , Vyse.”

“Ow. I might need some ointment after that burn.” The Blue Rogue said, wincing with a wink. “But seriously. What changed? What did you end up doing to help her?”

“Well…” Aika started, making a face. “You were right. About the weather. She’s never had to deal with storms like this. And if you and I find this whole trip daunting, it’s been a nightmare for her. But we figured out a way to help her get through the night.”

“Oh? What’s what?”

Aika paused, considering how best to phrase her answer. “Did you know Cupil can transform into things besides weapons? He’s been turning into earmuffs for her.”

“Wow.”

“I know, right? And when that isn’t enough, I just stay up and talk with her until she wears herself out.”

“Incredible.” Vyse chuckled. “Who knew you could be such a good caretaker?”

She shoved him in the shoulder. “Better me handling it than you.”

“What, you don’t think I could help her out with her problem?”

“You asked me to do it.” Aika pointed out sharply. “And if anything, I’m afraid that you’d help her out too much.”

He blinked a few times at that, leaned back away from her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Her face burning, Aika looked away from him. “Nothing.”

She felt his hand come to rest on her shoulder. “Sure didn’t sound like nothing.” He muttered.

Aika pulled away from him, moved over to the stove and started a pot of water boiling. “It’s my problem. I’ll deal with it.”

 

***

 

_ 45 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


It reached a point that Fina no longer needed to use Cupil to dampen the sound of the howling winds outside of the  _ Little Jack _ , but that didn’t mean she was any calmer about it. She just took to other methods of distracting herself, and for a spell, she tried inane chatter.

“Aika?” Came her trembling voice, early one evening.

From the bunk below Fina’s, Aika let out a sigh and rolled onto her back, staring up at the wood of the top bunk. “What, Fina?”

“Um.” Shuffling noises. “Are you awake?”

“For Moon’s sake.” Aika grunted. She didn’t move, though. “I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”

A weak giggle. “I suppose.”

“What do you  _ want _ , Princess?”

“I was...wondering about you. And Vyse. Um. That is.” Aika’s hands clenched around her blanket. “He...he looks at you. A lot. Especially when you’re distracted.”

Aika shut her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

“I know, I know it’s probably uncomfortable. It’s just…” A pause, then Fina sighed. A heavier  _ fwump _ from above, like she was punching a pillow. Or squeezing Cupil. One sounded pretty much like the other. “The other day, he was smiling at me. He watches you, and he smiles at me.”

“Terrific.” Aika bit the word out. “Send me a wedding invitation.”

“A what?” The blonde’s puzzled voice floated down to her.

Aika groaned and rolled onto her side, facing the wall. “I  _ really _ don’t want to talk about this.”

“But I can’t sleep.”

So Aika, her heart rattled, threw off the covers from her bunk and climbed up into Fina’s small bed. It was a sign of just how familiar the practice had become that Fina didn’t argue, or blush. She just scooted over and made room as Aika lay down behind her, and then pulled her in tightly.

“Just...shut up.” Aika mumbled. She knew she was crying. She figured if she didn’t say anything, that Fina wouldn’t be able to notice.

And yet, a minute later, the girl still reached a hand back over her shoulder, tracing the side of Aika’s cheek where her tears had been slipping down and soaking into the fabric of Fina’s gown.

“I’m sorry.” Fina whispered. “I didn’t...”

Aika sniffed once. “Go to sleep, Fina.” 

“But…”

Aika pressed her head into the back of the other girl’s neck. “ _ Enough.” _

And this time, Fina finally took the hint.

 

***

 

_ 48 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Even though Vyse and Drachma had made drafting behind the various islands in the Southern Ocean an art form, it didn’t mean that there weren’t close calls. They had come to build up an assumption that every island that they came across  _ stayed put _ , had enough mass and raw moonstone ore buried deep inside of it to keep it locked in the current like an anchor, even as they were weathered away. 

One close encounter with a rotating, diamond-shaped remnant of an island that they had named ‘Comma Rock’ sobered them up in a hurry, and re-established an old paradigm that Drachma voiced after they’d fired the Harpoon Cannon to anchor to another island for the night.

“And  _ that _ , lad, is why you never take anything for granted when you’re sailing.” The old man chuffed, throwing back his third shot of Valuan rye whiskey. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Vyse stayed away from the harder stuff, sticking to the watered down ale that Aika had poured for him. Aika lifted up her own mug of the diluted alcohol and glanced over to Fina, who was delicately sipping at her own, but making faces every time she did so. “We’ll make a heck of a lot of money once we’re able to tell folks about it, though.” 

“Ha!” Drachma poured himself another shot. Aika raised an eyebrow; the old man really  _ was _ rattled, the way he was drinking like a fish. “And you say you’re not a Pirate.”

“We’re not!” Vyse said. “Blue Rogues are...we’re different!”

“Aye, your Code.” Drachma chuckled. “Relax, boy. You’ll be gettin’ no grief about it from me. I’ve known about Blue Rogues since they first got started up. I’m just obliged to give you a little grief every now and then, is all.” 

“So you say.” Vyse muttered. “Aika said the engine was still holding up all right. The drafting seems to be working.” He glanced out the doorway of the galley, towards the stairs that went up. “The maps I’ve been charting will be worth a lot more, I’m thinking.”

“They may just be. Although, lad, you’ll have to ask yourself if it’s worth anybody’s time to come at the Green Lands the long way around, especially if Belleza wasn’t feedin’ us a pack of lies about Valua already bein’ there.” Drachma capped off the bottle of rye and set it back behind the serving counter, locking it into place. “Well. That’ll do it for me. You three finish cleaning up. I’ll fly the first shift tomorrow. Aika, I’ll come help ye look the engine over in the morning before we head out.”

“All right, captain.” Aika waved him off. “See you then.”

In the absence of the old man, the small talk gravitated towards the usual safe topics between the three. Aika put out her wild guesses about what Ixa’taka might be like, Fina asked about details of the world which still confused her, and Vyse got that starry-eyed look of his, dreaming about seeing things that nobody else had.  Then they played an old board game that Drachma somehow had stashed aboard. It was a children’s game, but Fina got a lot of enjoyment out of it. Aika wondered briefly why Drachma would keep something so silly and frivolous around when so much of his ship was based solely on utility and little in the way of creature comforts, but she kept forgetting to bring it up with him. Somehow, it was never important enough to remember.

They said their good nights, and Aika and Fina trudged into their room, starting the process of changing for a night’s rest. 

That was when things got awkward. Aika could tell that Fina hadn’t forgotten their abruptly ended talk some nights prior, but the other girl had, to her credit, never started it up again. Of course, that might have had something to do with Aika threatening to just let the girl suffer through sleepless nights alone again. It still was a little irritating that she could be so hopelessly dependent. 

“I can’t believe that you don’t know anything about what we’re flying into.” Aika pointed out. “Just what rock have your people been hiding under for so long?”

Fina removed her headdress, and her shoes. It gave her time to think, Aika realized. “The leaders of our people, the Council of Elders? I learned during my education that they chose to live separate from the rest of the world.” 

Aika finished unlacing her boots and kicked them off. They flopped to the ground with much less grace than Fina had used. She reached for her hair ties next. “Why?”

“The Silver Civilization got tired of all the warfare between the other civilizations, back when the Gigas roamed Arcadia. So, we left them all behind, and hid away.” Fina gave Aika a sad smile at that. “It was that decision which probably saved my people when the Rains of Destruction came down. After that, there wasn’t enough of the Old World left behind, so the Silvite people just stayed away.”

“And watched.” Aika pointed out, undoing the last hair tie. The tangled mass of her shoulder length red hair came down in a bunched up mess. She made a face and reached for a comb. “What caused the Rains of Destruction anyways?”

“Legend says that it was a divine punishment from the Moons.” Fina intoned solemnly. “That humanity was judged and found wanting, and that the Moons sent down a torrent to wash it all away. One thing that we did know for certain was that the Moon Crystals were developed, and used, by every Civilization to power their ancient war beasts, the Gigas. The rise of the Gigas immediately preceded the Rains of Destruction. Thus, if we can retrieve the Moon Crystals and lock them away where the Valuans can never reach them? Then we will be able to prevent the Rains from happening a second time.”

“And that’s exactly what we’re going to do, Fina.” Aika said, sitting down on the edge of her bunk and starting the process of brushing it out. 

Fina came over and sat beside her. “Let me help you with that.”

“You’d brush out my hair?” Aika blinked in surprise.

“You’ve been holding me every night so I can sleep through this terrible voyage.” Fina pointed out, extending her hand. “I feel like I should do something to make it up to you.”

Aika gave it about two seconds’ worth of consideration before she nodded and handed the brush over, then turned and sat on the bed so Fina could get at it more fully. 

The Silvite combed slowly at first, cautiously, then over time gained speed and confidence in her brush strokes. Aika found her eyelids fluttering shut.

“This is nice.” She yawned, a minute later. “Nobody’s brushed my hair out for me since I was a little girl.”

“Your mother?”

“No. Vyse’s mother.” Aika murmured. “I don’t remember my mother ever brushing my hair out much. I don’t remember her all that well. I guess we have that in common.”

“It always felt wonderful when my hair was brushed.” Fina said.

“Who brushed your hair out, if you didn’t know your parents?”

There was a momentary pause in the brush strokes. “A friend of mine. But he’s gone now.” 

Aside from a soft goodnight as the two separated and got into their own bunks, those were the last words they said to each other that night. But something kept Aika from slipping into sleep completely.

Two hours later, when Aika heard Fina begin to whimper as the winds picked up, she crawled up into the blonde’s bed and held her close, like she always did. And then they both slept.

 

***

 

_ 61 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


They noticed a change in the current of the Southern Ocean during the seventh week of their voyage. The air became less chilly and more humid, and the intensity started to die down a little. After clearing Beak Rock, as Vyse named one decorously shaped island formation, the islands dissipated as well. It meant less overall wind resistance for them to fly against, but without the aid of the drafting techniques that they had been using for weeks, the beginning of more solid days and nights of sailing. This time, they were ready for it though. Drachma took the night shift, Vyse flew in the day, and Aika and Fina managed the maintenance of the  _ Little Jack _ , making the meals, cleaning clothes and everything else that had to be done.

Aika felt like her unspoken bond of deeper friendship with Vyse had hit a wall. She kept hinting at wanting something more, and he either acted clueless, or pulled away from her. In everything else, he was flawless. Direct and confident at the helm of the ship, or in charting their course, and in combat. Drachma...well. The old man never changed. Maybe that was why she liked him so much. When he wasn’t offering suggestions couched as orders, or hoisting up sailing advice for how to endure long voyages, he pretty much kept to himself. 

Fina, on the other hand…

“Aika?” The Silvite said from behind Aika, as she and the redhead were tallying their moonstone fuel supply one afternoon.

“Hm? What is it, Fina?” Aika asked, her mind more focused on the tallies. She was frowning at the numbers. “We’d better find land soon. At our current rate of consumption, we’ve got about another week and a half...two weeks at the most, before we exhaust our moonstone fuel supply.”

“We will.” Fina said confidently. “The winds have changed. You’ve felt how humid it’s become? And how the skies are grayer, more full of rain?”

“Um. Sure?” Aika finally glanced up from her clipboard and frowned. “Is that a good sign?”

“It means we’re coming under the control of the lands of the Green Moon, which is governed by growth and healing. The lands here have always been fertile. The cold winds from the south are gone.”

“Something you should tell Vyse tomorrow then. I don’t suppose you have a more accurate prediction for our arrival?”

Fina shook her head. “Sorry, but no. What I studied is…”

“Out of date.” Aika waved off the apology. “Yeah, I know.”

Fina nodded once, and bit her lip. “Um. There was something else, too.”

“What?”

“With the winds dying down...I think I’m beginning to relax a little bit more.”

“Oh?” Aika tilted her head a little. “That’s a good thing, right? I mean, you’ve pretty much been a nervous wreck. Now things can get back to normal!”

“Normal?” Fina brushed a hand along the side of her head, pushing the edge of her veiled headdress back. “Right. Normal.” She frowned a bit. “I...I wanted to thank you.” Aika blinked, and Fina eventually elaborated. “For weeks now, you’ve been...keeping an eye on me. Helping me through this. It might have been an irrational fear, but you got me through it.”

“Oh.” Aika blinked several times more. “Well. You’re welcome. I mean, what was I going to do?  _ Not _ help you? You’re a member of this crew.”

“So, crewmembers sleep next to other crewmembers and let them focus on their heartbeat so they’ll stop thinking about how the winds are threatening to tear their ship apart?” Fina asked with wide eyes.

Aika blushed a little. “No, a cremember wouldn’t. But a friend would.”

And Fina smiled. “I’m glad that we’re friends.” 

Aika snorted a little, a little awkward at the strange situation. She bumped Fina’s hip with her own and smirked. “Maybe not as good a friend as Cupil, though. I’ve seen how you squeeze him half to death sometimes.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Fina pouted a bit as she righted herself. “Cupil can be a very cuddly pet.”

“And a sword. And a cone projectile. And earmuffs, and apparently a body pillow…” Aika pointed out, ticking off her fingers. They stared at one another and then fell into laughter.

Fina wiped at her eyes when she was done. “Still. Thank you. You’re a very warm person, Aika.”

“I’m going to remember you said that, the next time you complain about me training you too hard.” Aika chuckled. 

The next day, there were leaves in the wind. They slapped against the wheelhouse windows, a promise of land beyond the haze of rainclouds.

 

***

 

_ The Green Lands of Ixa’taka _

_ 66 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Nearly two months of hard sailing had left the  _ Little Jack _ in desperate need of a complete drydock and servicing overhaul. Their moonstone stores were down to the dregs, and their food supply was...well. Questionable. Vyse had made a joke as they fixed a meal of old and wormy bread about ‘the lesser of two weevils’, which Aika had promptly smacked him upside the head for. 

To their relief, Ixa’taka was less of what Aika had fever-dreamed, and more what Fina had portrayed; a land of endless forests and peerless bounty. They had anchored the  _ Little Jack _ next to a floating island...staying well clear of a Valuan patrol ship that lingered around a tall, dome-like mountain in the southern portion of the landscape. Hiding on the other side of that land, they waited for daylight to continue exploring the unfamiliar landscape, and feasted on the hanging fresh fruits of the island they were docked with.

And at night, when  _ everyone _ finally settled into bed? There was no bucking and rattling of the hull, no whistling, piercing moaning of the wind. Just a gentle rain. Aika hit her pillow with a full stomach of sweet, ripe melonfruits, relieved that for once, she wouldn’t have to wake up halfway through the night to crawl into bed with Fina to keep the other girl from going into a nervous breakdown. She could just sleep. 

But she didn’t. The bed didn’t feel right, so she shifted around a little. It was too quiet, so she cracked the window open to hear the sound of the raindrops falling against the side of the hull. She fluffed her pillow, tried sleeping on her other side.

Nothing she did felt right, and over an exhausting, frustrating hour of it, Aika finally realized what was wrong. 

She was sleeping  _ alone _ . When she’d been sleeping next to Fina, holding Fina, for  _ weeks. _

The realization made her groan.

 

And then she felt movement above her. The bunk rattled, and Aika turned to look in at the cabin in time to see Fina climbing down.

“Fina, what…?” Aika started, struck by how the green moonlight wafting through the sporadic stormclouds caught the other girl’s soft blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Scoot over.” Fina whispered back to her. Aika blinked twice, and her arm moved on its own, pulling her blanket back. Without ceremony, Fina crawled into the small bunk next to her, and lay there facing Aika, their faces inches apart as the two girls breathed in and out. Aika wondered, and Fina just stared at her. Then she finally leaned over and kissed Aika’s forehead. “Turn around.”

Aika swallowed hard, felt her heart beating wildly for a reason she couldn’t put words to. But she did as she was told. 

Fina pulled the blanket back over them, then scooted in until Aika felt the other girl’s more rounded, curvier breasts press in against her back. The redhead’s breathing hitched when Fina’s arms wrapped around her stomach, mirroring the pose that Aika had always used to hold her during the long nights in the Southern Ocean.

“My bed didn’t feel right.” Fina mumbled, her face wafting through Aika’s tresses.

Aika swallowed again, tried to speak. Coughed. Felt her face burn as bright as her hair. “This doesn’t mean anything, Princess. I just couldn’t sleep.” 

Fina, once again revealing another facet of her puzzling personality and education, chuckled throatily as her face pressed in against the back of Aika’s neck and hair. “Good night, Aika.”

 

It was too much to think about, to much to feel. And she really  _ was _ tired, Aika remembered with a suffering yawn as her eyes closed, and her hand closed over Fina’s, pressed flush to her stomach.

In the silence of the rain, she felt the pulse of Fina’s heart beating against her skin, and finally slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be honest; A voyage from the Nasrian empire through the Southern Ocean to Ixa'taka is not going to be a short endeavor, and there's a reason that 'nobody' in the game has ever tried the route and survived. This is the crew's first real test of sailing. There's going to be bumps in the road.


	10. It's Hard Making Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Blue Rogues reach Ixa'taka, and learn that nothing comes easy...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Ten: It’s Hard Making Friends**

* * *

 

_ 67 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Central Ixa’taka _

  
  


The next morning, they left behind the tall and circular mountain teeming with Valuan patrol ships and headed north. The green lands hung ahead of them, with the skies full of rain and the warmth so vastly different than it had been in Maramba and the desert around the Temple of Pyrynn. There, it had been dry, unceasing, something to be feared.

But here in Ixa’taka, Vyse realized, it wasn’t  _ hot _ , it was  _ warm.  _ Warm, and wet, oppressively so. Even with the windows cracked open in the wheelhouse to let in the breeze, his hair was plastered to his forehead, and he was certain he was  _ leaking _ sweat into his boots. Drachma seemed remarkably unaffected by it, merely tying a wet bandana around his neck and then slipping a dry one above his eyes. Fina’s silvery dress did a fantastic job of staying dry, regardless of how flushed her face was. But the thing Vyse noticed the most was Aika, who was  _ baking _ under the humidity and had unlaced the top of her leather bustier to ‘let the girls breathe’ as she put it, and he couldn’t help but notice just how perfectly her undershirt clung to her body, revealing the outline of her…

Vyse shut his eyes and forced his head to look straight on as they continued to sail.  _ No. Not going to think about that.  _

He cleared his throat. “Aika? What’s our fuel status?”

“We’ve got about four hours of propulsion left. After that...say, another day before the  _ Little Jack  _ loses lift and we either land it on solid ground or sink to the Deep Sky.” Aika responded, dabbing at her face. 

“And no moonstone refueling station around here to be had.” Vyse said, going for a weak joke. “I haven’t exactly seen a lot of ships or settlements around here either. Nowhere to go for directions.”

“If the Valuans acted like their usual, dumb, oppressive selves, I’d bet you anything that anyone who lives here would go to ground and hide.” Aika snarked back.

Fina hummed thoughtfully. “You mean, like Vyse’s father and the  _ Albatross  _ crew were going to after we rescued them?”

“Exactly like it.” Vyse said with a chuckle. “Of course, since we don’t know how exactly any of the Ixa’takans...should we call them that?...might camouflage their settlements, we could still use a bit of direction and advice.

Drachma stepped out past the wheel and parked himself in front of the forward window, leaning until his forehead was almost touching the reinforced glass. 

Then he grunted, stepped back, and pointed a finger. “There, boy.” Ahead of them, and down below tree level beside a lake was parked a vessel maybe one and a half times the size of the  _ Little Jack _ , which would have gone unnoticed save for a sudden breeze from a different direction tossing a green canopy...and the black sails revealed underneath, perfectly visible even when furled. “Put ‘er down next to that ship.”

“Is that a pirate ship?” Aika got out the ship’s telescope and extended the tube to get a closer look. Drachma shook his head and chuckled.

“No. That, lass, be a ship of the Black Market.”

 

***

 

The ship looked to have about fifteen to twenty years of patina, and whoever the owner was spent enough money to keep it running well enough by a quick exterior glance, but didn’t give two figs for how it looked. The  _ Little Jack _ settled down onto the ground next to it, and Vyse and Aika quickly threw all the levers to completely disengage the engines and cut the levitation drive. From there, it was just a quick stroll to get on board the other vessel and go looking for the crew…

Though there didn’t appear to be one on board.

“Captain Drachma, I’m not sure anyone’s home.” Aika mused, digging into a crate packed with straw and coming up with nothing but a cracked, empty bottle of rum and a disgusted look on her face. “Ugh. Smells awful. I think a bird’s been using this for a nest.”

Vyse stayed on high alert, strolling ahead with swords drawn while the girls and Drachma lingered near the back. He listened for the shuffle of footsteps or the creaking of a floorboard. But there was nothing.

“Let me see that bottle, Aika.” Drachma suddenly said, and Vyse glanced back as Drachma took the broken bottle in his mechanical hand and turned it over slowly. The old man sniffed at it, made a face, then turned it around and examined the bottom of the container.

Then, strangely, he smiled and threw it over his shoulder, letting it break into a thousand tiny shards across the deck behind them. “I know who’s here. You can relax, boy. We won’t be needing those swords on this ship.”

“You know who the captain is, Drachma?” Vyse asked, sheathing his cutlasses and doing his best not to look too relieved. Drachma might be at ease, but he was still in unfamiliar territory.

“Aye.” Drachma drawled, looking up at the sky. “And this time of day, he’ll still be wallowing in bed.” He looked over to Aika and Fina. “Girls, the galley’s down the stairs two flights and then halfway to the stern, port side. You’ll be wanting to brew up some tea. Some  _ strong _ tea. Boy, you’re coming with me.”

Aika and Fina looked over to Vyse for confirmation, and Vyse caught the twitch in the corner of Drachma’s eye that they treated  _ him _ as the leader. Vyse just smirked, patted Drachma on the shoulder, and headed for the stairs. “You heard him, ladies. Hup hup.” 

“Insufferable pup.” Drachma grumbled lowly, trudging after him.

“So, strong tea.” Vyse said, when they were a floor down and he let the old man take point in their search for the ship’s owner. “Mind if I ask why?”

“For the hangover he’s going to have.” Drachma answered coolly. “And the headache I’m about to give him.” They stopped in front of a closed door, and Drachma put a finger to his lips to keep Vyse from asking any more questions. Then he nudged the door open, the thing creaking on rusty hinges, revealing a pitted out mess of a bedroom littered with wrappers, bottles, and clay jugs. The entire room smelled of stale sweat, spilled beer, and soiled clothes, and Vyse leaned out of the room to suck in a breath before diving back inside.

The smells didn’t seem to affect Drachma in the slightest, who strolled up towards the bed and the snoring lump buried underneath a patchworn blanket on top of it. He reached over with his mechanical arm, grabbed hold of the far edge of the mattress, and then  _ turned it completely over _ . The lump of sleeping inebriate came to right after impact with the floor, groaning in pain.

“Up and at ‘em, ye drunken reprobate!” Drachma bellowed, his voice thundering in the small cabin. The groaning intensified, and the lump slowly stretched out, a scrawny leg emerging from the cocoon. “Sun’s up and it’s time to move yer’ sorry ass in gear, you’ve got customers!”

“Moons, Drachma, not so  _ loud… _ ” The ship’s owner groaned. The lump stopped moving after a few seconds, and Drachma looked back to Vyse, holding up his left arm and counting down his fingers as they waited for the fellow to come to his senses.

“Wait. Drachma? The fu…” The fellow’s head finally emerged from the pile, with blurry brown eyes blinking wildly under a ragged and thinning mop of graying brown hair. He blinked a few more times after shooting a quick look to Vyse. Outside, the chirp of insects and the screeching of wild birds accented the odd moment. “Um, am I still drunk, or are you actually here, Drachma?”

In response, Drachma reached down with his left arm and flicked the man’s forehead, making him hiss in pain and clutch at it. “Finish taking your morning piss, Lorenzo, and then meet me in the galley.” He turned and gestured at Vyse, then walked out of the door.

“Hey, the hell do you mean, finish my mor…” Lorenzo started angrily, then paused and looked down at his blanket, and to the wet spot on the front of it. “Oh. Bugger me.” Vyse wrinkled his nose again and quickly chased after Drachma.

“Interesting friend.” He finally said out in the hallway, coughing away the smell.

Drachma snorted at that. “How many  _ friends _ do you think that drunk actually has, Vyse?”

 

***

 

His name was Lorenzo, and as Drachma explained while giving the alcoholic a hangover cure of strong tea mixed with other things that the old man outright refused to detail, he was a black marketeer that he’d had dealings with up in North Ocean some time ago. On first evaluation, Vyse had found very little about the man worthy of notice, and his opinion hadn’t required much adjustment. Lorenzo looked to be a man in his early to mid forties, with his hair going gray and falling out at the same time. There were holes in his teeth, and the trousers and striped shirt he’d thrown on were  _ marginally _ clean, but still carried some of the same stink as the rest of his room had. His brown eyes were bloodshot, but he was quickly perking up. Whatever Drachma had given him was doing the trick. 

“Long time ago.” Lorenzo muttered, shaking his head. “One-Armed Drachma, as I live and breathe. The hell are you doing in Ixa’taka? How the hell did you get here? And for that matter, who the hell are  _ these kids? _ ” He gestured wildly at Aika, Fina, and Vyse, who stayed clustered by the doorway and as far away from the terrible smelling man as they possibly could. Only Drachma seemed immune to the marketeer’s foul odor.

“They’re a...temporary crew.” Drachma muttered. “Vyse, Aika, and Fina. I could hardly go sailing across the Southern Ocean on my own now, could I?” 

The black marketeer snorted, then did a double take. “Wait. What? Vyse? As in, two-stars on the Valuan piracy board, Vyse the Determined?”

“Oh, joy. I’m  _ determined _ now.” Vyse sighed, looking to Aika and Fina, who both didn’t bother hiding the giggles. “Would have thought I’d get a better name after squashing Admiral Belleza.” 

Lorenzo harrumphed and took another swig of the tea, making a face. “Your hangover cure is still terrible, Drachma.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver flask, then poured out a few liberal swigs into the cup. “There. Hair of the dog. You want some?”

“Is it that same rotgut we found an empty bottle of out on your deck?”

“No. That’s just what I drink when I’m bored. This is the  _ good _ rum.” 

“Hand it over then.” Drachma groused, and took a hearty chug from the flask, exhaling loudly after. “Sweet as ever. And illegal in Valua.”

“Like that ever concerned us.” Lorenzo smirked, raising his glass. The two old men clinked flask and metal mug together in a makeshift toast. “So. The Southern Ocean? You  _ really _ crossed it?”

“Aye. That’s one of the reasons I’m glad we found you.” Drachma capped the flask after another swig and handed it back.

Hung over as he was, Lorenzo’s brain had finally caught up, and he glanced at them under couched eyebrows with unusual acuity. “Running low on fuel?”

“Aye.”

“Figured. You still using those same piss-poor cannons?”

“Added a new one.”

“Harpoon Cannon. After-market modifications, which  _ definitely _ made it illegal. I heard about it. Story goes you took down Belleza with it. So. You need some more fuel, and maybe I can convince you to buy some better armament.”

“Eager to make a sale, are we? Must have pissed it all away on the booze again.” Drachma folded his arms. Lorenzo chuckled a bit at that.

“Hardly. Getting past the iron netting the Valuans put up to keep anyone else from getting into Ixa’taka takes bribes. Some serious ones. I’ll need something substantial for my trouble.”

“Oh, sure. Like you ever threw money at the border guards when you could pawn off whatever crap you had down in the hold instead.”

“No, you’re thinking of yourself, you one-eyed hack. Like that time you tried to pay me for that new engine mount with a pile of dried fish, like we were still using the barter system!”

 

For his part, Vyse watched the exchange with the curiosity only an outsider to the game of black market buying and selling could possess. It was obvious that there was an easy back and forth between the two, and they hadn’t gotten serious about the sale yet. There weren’t any numbers being spoken, or even the indirect phrasing that he’d heard some of the Nasrian merchants bandying about while they’d been in Maramba. 

It was more like they were old friends hedging around the issue, using the opportunity to catch up on old times and throw insults at someone who wouldn’t mind them.

 

“Seriously, though. For a while there, the Valuan patrols around here were  _ thick _ . After you lot had your dustup with Belleza, the Valuans had an entire battle group waiting for you all to show up.” Lorenzo waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “You never did do things by half-measures, Drachma. You and your new friends pissed them off  _ but good _ . I had to put down and hide the ship to keep them from impounding it and throwing me in the brig.”

“Aye.” Drachma stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Good thing that the trip took us a while longer than we thought. But I see you made good use of the time. Haven’t seen you this ruddy in the face in a decade.”

“Seemed as good a time for a bender as any.” Lorenzo shrugged. “Wasn’t anything going on, after all. They finally thinned out and sent most of the group back home just a week ago, though. Guess they thought you’d up and gotten lost at sea.”

“Almost were.” Drachma said laconically. “So. We’re in the market for three things. Fuel, maybe better guns...and information.”

“I could spare a few days’ worth of fuel for the right price, but I’ll be heading back home myself soon now that things have quieted down some.” Lorenzo cocked his head to the side. “And guns...Actually I’ve got in some Valuan-issued ‘Shock’ class torpedoes.”

That got Vyse’s attention. “Shock Torpedoes? And the launchers?”

Lorenzo grinned, and Vyse realized he’d made a mistake in the bargaining. Drachma turned and glowered at him for it as well. 

“That I do, Mr. Vyse the Determined. Fire and track them in for maximum impact on target with your normal shots. They’ll do a number on arcwhales, I figure...and they’ll ruin a Valuan warship’s day as well.” He looked back at Drachma. “I figure you could even rig ‘em up to fire out of those old side cannonholes on your gun deck, if you didn’t want to mess up your foredeck too badly.. There’s just the matter of paying for it.”

“Aye. Well. We’re not flush with money at the moment.” Drachma explained, which made Lorenzo’s face fall. He turned to Vyse, quirked the eyebrow over his left eye, then turned back to the black marketeer. “You still have your Guild accreditation?”

“For Discoveries and the like? Yeah. There’s this one explorer fella named Domingo I was expecting, but this whole blowup with the Armada waiting for you must have put a damper on his plans to go looking for new things out here.”

Vyse filed that tidbit about Domingo away; he’d met the man briefly on Sailor’s Island, and every time Domingo got a whiff of something before Vyse did, the price on what he did find dropped sharply. Here, he had an opportunity to make some coin before Domingo ever knew about a rumor.

Still. More pressing needs first.

“How’d the Guild like to hear about a few things we stumbled across during our grand ocean voyage?” Vyse inquired, getting into the spin of the haggle. “That sort of Discovery information worth anything to you?”

Lorenzo tapped the side of his nose with a finger. “Might be. Okay. Third thing. Information from me. What about, exactly?” 

Drachma gestured to Vyse, indicating for him to keep plowing along. Vyse breathed in and out.

“We’re looking for the native Ixa’takans. We figure they’ve gone into hiding because of the Valuans.”

“For the most part, yes.” Lorenzo suddenly looked like he was constipated, and it took Vyse a moment to catch on that he was thinking very hard. “But. I think there’s one settlement close by that’s a little more exposed. Supposedly, there’s a crew of pirates that crashed there. Had some dealings with them, but the natives pretty much shun them.”

“Pirates?” Aika made a face. “Black Pirates?”

“Oh, no. The Blue ones.”

Vyse blinked at the news, and didn’t even think to correct the man that they were  _ Blue Rogues _ , and not Blue Pirates. 

“Blue Rogues? Here? In Ixa’taka?” He said, surprised and hopeful. “Where? Where’s this village?”

“It’s called Horteka.” Lorenzo replied. “On an island floating in the upper range of the flyable sky to the southeast of us. A couple of hours.”

“Shoot, we flew right by that island and missed it!” Aika muttered, kicking her boot into the decking. 

“I guess we’re going back then.” Vyse grinned.

“As soon as we finish our transactions.” Lorenzo corrected him. “A man’s gotta eat.”

“Lorenzo, you  _ drink _ your dinners.” Drachma scoffed. 

Lorenzo laughed and patted his, by comparison to the white-haired sailor, flatter torso. “It may be hell on my liver, but at least I look good! Now spill it, Vyse. What did you find out there in that swirling mess of wind, rain, and tempests?”

Vyse, his head thrumming with excitement at finding  _ other _ Blue Rogues in the world, did his best to keep it on the back burner and stick to the sale. “So, there we were, just turning the corner from Typhoon Alley to the corridor of windswept islands…”

 

***

 

_ Horteka Village _

  
  


Aside from one momentary stir at the gates as they arrived, when the natives had questioned Fina in halting Mid-Ocean tradespeak if she was ‘Quetya’, the Hortekans had more or less ignored them when they laid anchor and strolled into what passed for civilization. Many wore wooden masks with fearsome faces carved into them. The villagers inside of their residences, however, went without. Perhaps the masks had been something worn only by those out in the open, like the Nasrian women did with their veils and shawls. 

Indifference, Vyse realized, was likely the preferred means of the Ixa’takans dealing with them. Worse were the ones who glared at them hotly, openly. As soon as the news had passed around that they were not Quetya, or servants of Quetya, that they were just more foreigners come to Ixa’taka like the Valuans, the change was immediate.

Vyse preferred them hiding and staring at them from the shadows, as opposed to any of the more direct means of voicing their displeasure. They’d already been turned away from Horteka’s supplies merchant and weapons smith, a father and daughter pair who looked at Vyse like he was some kind of poisonous frog to be killed on the spot, if they could manage it without being attacked. 

“Not our biggest fan club.” Aika muttered lowly. Neither she nor Vyse had felt the need to draw their weapons, and Cupil was still in bracelet form around Fina’s wrist, but the feeling of so many hostile eyes on them had her jumpy as the cats she liked to collect stuffed animals of in her youth. “Who’s Quetya, anyways?”

The name picked at the back of Vyse’s brain. He’d heard it somewhere before, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember where. “Someone important, I guess. Someone they look up to.”

“The way they used it in conversation implies some sort of...guardian, or a patron god or goddess, perhaps.” Fina suggested. She shifted the fabric of her sleeve a little. “Though, it doesn’t explain why they all looked at me like I was a goddess.”

_ It’s not that hard to think _ , Vyse thought to himself, and then quickly shook his head before Aika could catch his gaze and make a guess at what he’d been thinking. Stubborn girl had eyes like a hawk for some things, and she was always watching him now when she wasn’t preoccupied. “Well, put a pin in that for now. Since the Hortekans aren’t inclined to be all that helpful, maybe we can find these rumored Blue Rogues Drachma’s friend Lorenzo told us about.”

“I told you boy, he’s not my friend.” Drachma groused.

“Oh, right. My mistake. I forgot you didn’t have any friends.” Vyse snarked back at him with a wink, getting a frustrated glower from the old man, and a hearty laugh from Aika. “Okay. So. If I were a Blue Rogue living here in Horteka...around a bunch of people who rarely gave me the time of day…”

“You’d want to be living as far away from them as you possibly could, aye?” Drachma surmised. 

Aika, walking ahead of them as they meandered the wooden walkways through the treetop dwellings, came to a stop and tilted her head to the side. “Like on the other side of the island, maybe?” She said, pointing down and to their right, and to a tunnel burrowed through the foliage overgrown with lichens.

 

***

 

The settlement where there was any sign of Blue Rogue activity was clear of any of the dwellings inhabited by the Ixa’takan natives. A rusted-out, moss-covered airship with  _ flywheel propulsion _ was half buried in the ground and perched precariously close to the edge of the village with a picturesque view of the distant green islands through the haze of a constant foggy drizzle. 

Children, all of them younger than ten, were running around in the open ground, laughing and yelling and screaming through some bizarre game of tag that Vyse couldn’t quite place. To his surprise, there was even an Ixa’takan girl with them, though in comparison to their striped sailor’s shirts and rough and patched trousers, her own clothes made her stick out even more than the darker color of her skin. 

They all stopped playing and stared at the four pale-skinned strangers that strolled by them, past the outdoor tents and tarps covering up old crates of supplies and piles of drying sardis and fruit. One of the boys finally got tired of just staring at them and came up, standing in Vyse’s path and crossing his arms like a stubborn doorman. 

“Who are you?” He demanded.

“We’re Blue Rogues.” Vyse said. The boy frowned and squinted his eyes.

“Nuh-uh! My daddy’s a Blue Rogue and he doesn’t look  _ anything _ like you all. You’re all weird!” He pointed at Drachma and made a face. “Especially him!”

“Hey, now.” Drachma complained with a snort.

“Well, he’s not wrong. You  _ are _ weird looking.” Aika smirked, before looking back to the boy. “Listen, do you know where the adults are? We really are Blue Rogues, sport. We came a long way to get here, and we need to talk to them.”

“That’s enough, Clarence!” A harried-looking woman with graying brown hair came racing out of the grounded ship, her hands on the skirt of her dress so she wouldn’t trip over the hem. A young man in a red shirt and brandishing an overly long wrench was hot on her heels, and they came to a stop in front of Vyse and the others.

The older woman scrutinized him, and Vyse squirmed under the stare so much like his own mother’s before he gave her a respectful nod. “Ma’am. Are you...Are you the Blue Rogues we’ve heard about?”

“That would depend on who is asking.” She said primly, and the youth on her left slung the wrench over his shoulder. “Or did your parents not teach you to make introductions?”

Vyse chuckled and rubbed at the back of his head. “I’m sorry. My name is Vyse, son of Dyne.”

“Dyne of the Blue Storm?” The woman said incredulously, cutting him off. 

Vyse had to blink at that. “...You know my father?”

“He’s a legend among the Blue Rogues. My husband often spoke of him. Never had an unkind word to say.” She smiled and bowed her head slightly. “My name is Caroline. My husband is Centime, the Tinker...another Blue Rogue.” As the children started to gather around them, Danielle expanded her arms out. “And these are our children.”

Aika made a choking noise at that. “A...all of them?”

The older boy standing by Caroline, now at ease, gave her a smile. “You can relax. We’re all adopted. I’m Hans, by the way.”

Vyse nodded back. “And these are my friends, Aika and Fina...and this is Drachma.”

While the old man grunted and crossed his arms at being so singled out, Caroline bowed to each of them in turn. “I’m happy to have so many fellow Blue Rogues here, but I have to ask...how did you end up here? Were you taken by a hurricane as well and blown off course like we were?”

“Afraid not.” Vyse said. “We took the long way around, crossed the Southern Ocean to get here. When we heard that there might be Blue Rogues here, we had to come investigate.”

“That must be some story.” Caroline mused, shaking her head. “But something tells me you didn’t come here for us.”

“No.” Vyse admitted. “Happy surprise, though. And we could use a friendly face to fill us in on the situation here.”

Carolina beamed at them. “Of course. We were just about to have lunch. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.” Drachma said agreeably, and that opinion was one that they all shared.

 

***

 

After the first introductions, the woman who oversaw the encampment insisted on Vyse and the girls calling her ‘Carol’, as she was always ‘mom’ to the children and had long been denied the pleasure of having friends she could use her favorite nickname with. A bit of back and forth proceeded over a lunch of roasted squab with a pan full of roasted fruits and vegetables that was sweet to the taste. Hortekan  _ aila loqua _ , a lightly fermented cider, capped off the meal and made the tough game birds slide down more easily. Simple topics came first; a hurricane had thrown their tiny ship across the South Ocean and had left them stranded on the shores of Horteka. They had quickly established an uneasy relationship with the natives, who were gunshy after Valuan aggression in the region, making trades of Mid-Ocean goods for food and supplies for repairs, but even that much had been slow going at first. When a Valuan patrol had stumbled across their camp, Centime had surrendered himself, with the stipulation that the children and his wife would be left alone. For their part, Vyse explained how they’d made the crossing over the Southern Ocean, and how they’d just barely cleared it before their fuel supply went critical. Carol was surprised to hear that there was a black marketeer in the area, and asked Vyse to have the fellow sail by if they saw Lorenzo again; Centime’s ship, the  _ Iron Clad _ , was in desperate need of parts that Hans struggled to repair or fabricate without his father’s assistance.

It was Fina who led off into the more nebulous realm of personal questions. “So...all of the children here, they’re adopted?” She asked. “And adoption means that they are not yours biologically, but that you have assumed responsibility for them?”

“Exactly so.” Carol smiled at her sadly. “Centime and I...we tried, when we were younger, but I wasn’t...well. We just reached a point where we realized that if we could not have children of our own, we still owed it to the world to be parents. So, we started adopting.”

“And never stopped.” Hans, the oldest of the children in the Blue Rogue camp, cut in. “Mom even has an Ixa’takan girl now. Well, sort of. Her name is Ba’zili, and her parents were killed in a bad Valuan raid. The rest of the village looks out for her too, but she drifted in with the rest of us. There are others her age here.”

“Anybody can make a child.” Aika argued. “It takes a real parent to raise one. At least, that’s what Vyse’s mom likes to say.”

“Okay, so here’s one for you all.” Carol said, setting her plate aside. “You didn’t just cross the Southern Ocean for the heck of it. The world at large doesn’t know about Ixa’taka; Valua’s been keeping news of this place suppressed. What made you try the journey that we made on accident?”

Vyse chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe us.”

“Try me, young man.”

“All right. We’re saving the world.” Vyse gestured to Fina. “And helping her to do it. Fina is from a hidden civilization who saw that the Valuans would bring the world to ruin if they got their hands on these ancient, powerful moonstone energy sources called the Moon Crystals. With them, Valua could wake up some terrifying creatures called Gigas.”

Carol blinked at the confession. “My. And there’s...one of these Moon Crystals, here?”

“Somewhere.” Fina confirmed. “I only know about the old world, the ancient civilizations. But in the Green Lands, there’s supposed to be the Green Crystal.”

Carol’s face went hard. “The Valuans have taken enough from these poor people.”

“Agreed.” Vyse nodded. “They’ve taken enough from everyone. But getting the Ixa’takans to help us has been difficult. You didn’t exactly get a warm welcome yourself, right Carol? What changed?”

“The day Centime was taken, that’s what happened.” Carol shut her eyes. “They came and took him, and left the village alone. After that, the people of Horteka all realized we were like them. Lighter skin, different clothes...but all of us, oppressed by Valua. If you want to change their minds about you, and get some help, then you need to speak to the village elder. I wouldn’t have the foggiest clue where to start with helping you with your search. But he would.”

“Where does he live?” Vyse asked, feeling at last like progress was being made. 

“Back into the village. Go down to the lowest level, cross a few bridges, use the underground passage to the far side. Just short of the lookout’s cliff, you’ll find a few huts. His is the largest over there.”

“Terrific.” Vyse stacked up his dishes and stood up, giving Carol a grateful nod. “Thank you, ma’am. For the food, and the advice. Aika, Fina, Drachma. Come on. Let’s hustle it up.”

“Actually, Vyse?” Aika said suddenly. She bit her lip and looked back towards the ship. “If it’s all right with you, mind if I stay here until we’re ready to head out? Hans said he’d be willing to lend us some more moonstone fuel, but I’d like to do something to make up for it. I can help him fix up the  _ Iron Clad _ while you’re off playing diplomat.”

Vyse blinked once, saw the logic in it, and gave his oldest friend a thumbs up. “Sounds good to me. Don’t work her too hard, Hans! I need her able to fight if we bump into the Valuans out there!”

The red-shirted engineer and adopted son of Centime and Carol chuckled. “No promises, Mr. Vyse.”

_ I’m going to choke on this much formality _ , Vyse mused, and headed out with the Blue Rogue children shouting goodbyes after him.

 

***

 

The village elder of Horteka was an old, stern man, whose wrinkles were forged more out of stress and suffering than laughter. When Vyse, Fina, and Drachma had appeared, he had startled once at the Silvite’s form, but quickly returned to himself, scowling as he looked down at them.

“You come seeking our help. You claim to be different. But all I see are more travelers from the east, come to take and give nothing back.”

“What can we do to prove to you that we are not like the Valuans?” Vyse finally asked, having exhausted every explanation. That they were Blue Rogues meant nothing to the village chief. That they were enemies of Valua, also meant nothing. The old Hortekan was unsatisfied with words. Something stronger was needed as the burden of proof.

He wavered, leaning on his walking stick, judging Vyse. “I give my permission for you to speak to the villagers.” He gestured once to a messenger who had been standing by the door, and the masked fellow took off like a shot, likely to pass the news on. “If you are here to help, as you claim to be, then you must first learn of our suffering. See what the men from the east have done, feel the pain they have caused. Then, come back to me. We shall see if your conviction is equal to the burden you claim.”

Vyse exhaled, nodded. Stood up, went for the door.

Drachma leaned in once they were well clear. “Not exactly rolling out the welcome mat, are they, boy?”

“Scars run deep.” Vyse mused. “And I get the feeling that theirs have been growing for years.”

 

***

 

The people of Horteka, forewarned that the elder wanted them to share their stories, wasted no time when Vyse, Fina, and Drachma came to visit them. The shopkeeper and his daughter that had turned them away explained, with no small amount of venom, that the mother of their family had been ripped away from them to work in the ‘sacred mountain’, to mine moonstones for the invaders. They met the sharp-eyed hunter Tikatika, who was so distraught over his inattentiveness to see the Valuans coming before the first raids that he now stayed up on the cliff beyond the elder’s hut, keeping constant vigil for trouble. His already keen eyes had been sharpened, through guilt and sheer determination, to mythical levels of ability; he even pointed out some landmarks for Vyse to look for later on. He would have made the best ship’s lookout in the world, Vyse thought to himself.

But of all the people in the village who shared their stories with them, none made quite the impact as a woman perhaps a year or two older than Vyse and Fina, who lived and once worked in the Hortekan great hut. Giant vats of loqua simmered away, filling the upper floors of the building with a sweet and cloying scent, but down below, all was quiet. Her name was Merida, and she served them all a wooden cup of Horteka’s prized alcoholic beverage, made out of the garpa fruits which grew in abundance on, and  _ underneath _ , the island. 

Vyse did his best not to stare too openly, but Fina must have been taking lessons from Aika. She caught him several times...but instead of the admonishments or punches to the shoulder that Aika would have given him, Fina just smiled, occasionally smirked, and looked between the silver-haired dancer and Vyse.

“She is quite beautiful.” Fina observed.

“I suppose.” Vyse conceded, gritting the words out. “You can tell she’s a dancer. Her body’s built for it.”

“Oh? How can you tell?”

“Well, her build.” Vyse said, happy for a slightly safer topic. “A warrior skilled with a bow will have strong arms and shoulders, a powerful back to support the weapon and allow him to draw it back as far as possible. Like Tikatika. He wears that mask all the time, but his back and shoulders were very well defined. A person who runs for a living will have a slender build, but powerful legs to fuel their strides. And with Merida...well. She has a build close to a runner, but the tone and definition in her calves and ankles are much more prominent.”

“I didn’t know you paid such close attention to people’s bodies.” Fina teased him. “Should I be worried?” 

Vyse snorted and took advantage of the cup of loqua, drinking to buy himself time to think. “Why would you worry about where I’m looking?”

“No reason.” Fina said, far too innocently. There were still things about the world she was oblivious to, but  _ attraction _ and  _ looks  _ were not a part of that list. And she was a terrible liar.

Vyse looked to Merida, drained the rest of his glass, gestured towards her. The liquid didn’t have much of a burn, and retained the bulk of its sweetness. He doubted any Mid-Ocean cider was its equal. “Merida, could I trouble you for another glass?” The silver-haired woman came over, her long and tanned legs moving gracefully beneath her grass skirt, giving a hint of the treasure her undergarments concealed. Vyse looked away to Drachma, and his face burned when he realized the old man was smirking just as hard, and with far less disguised innocence than Fina had at catching him in the act.

Merida poured him a second cup, her eyes narrowed and her jaw set. She didn’t trust him. She didn’t like him.

So Vyse opened his mouth and just dove into it.

“Merida, are you a dancer?” 

Her eyes shot wide, and Vyse knew he’d gotten her attention.

“I was.” She said, and the scowl returned. “But I have nothing to dance for now.”

“Because of the Valuans.” Vyse wagered. “They...they hurt you. Took people from you.”

“Yes.” The young woman said curtly. “My parents. I danced to bring joy to my people, to honor Quetya and the gods. But then the men from the east came, bringing fire and death and ruin.”

“I know.” Vyse said sympathetically, and felt the prick of some familiar thought he couldn’t entirely place zipping around just out of reach. “The Valuans hurt everyone. My people, the Blue Rogues, have been fighting against them for years. But we  _ could _ fight back. Here? In Ixa’taka? There was nobody able to fight them.”

Merida’s anger crumbled into sorrow, and she looked away, tucking the serving platter under her arm. “I even wrote a letter to Quetya, sent it on the winds...asking for her help. But Quetya did not come. So we suffer, and we die, and the men from the east...they keep on taking what they want.”

Vyse blinked rapidly. She wrote a letter? A letter to Quetya? It dug harder in his mind, forcing him to think about it, to consider it.

“This letter...how did you send it?”

“I put it in a bottle left by the easterners. Tied it to a balloon. Sent it into the skies.”

Like a thunderbolt, Vyse placed it. He knew that letter. He had carried it with him ever since finding it on Sailor’s Island. That letter, a plea for help in the face of Valuan aggression, had given him the resolve to go on right before he and Aika and Drachma had left to infiltrate Valua. 

He pulled out the carefully folded letter from his pocket, and held it out to her. “I found your letter.” Vyse told Merida solemnly. The girl dropped the platter, reached to the folded up note with a shaky hand, unfolded it and gasped when she saw her own handwriting.

Her eyes, misting up, went to his face. Vyse mustered a smile. “Quetya did not come, Merida...but maybe, she sent us instead.” 

 

Merida’s lip quivered. “You...You will help?”

“I swear by the Moons, we will try.” Vyse promised her. “Blue Rogues always help out those in need.”

“It’s his code.” Fina added helpfully, putting her hand on the side of his arm. “His oath.”

Merida wiped her eyes, chuckled a little, and actually smiled. It filled the room, and she stood a little straighter after it. “Then I will dance again, to give you the strength to fight the Valuans.” And she skipped back away from them and headed for the stage.

And by the Moons, could she dance. She held nothing back, there was nothing refined. Just raw, explosive power in controlled movements to a drumbeat only she could hear, a dance meant to awaken the gods.

It awakened Vyse, because there was no mistaking the sensual pull it caused. He drank his loqua and sat transfixed, in awe of Merida, and of her people.

These were the victims of Valuan expansion and oppression. Bitter, withdrawn, jaded. But for those few minutes, he saw a glimpse of who they had been, who they really were. Joyful. Exultant. Uninhibited, full of life. Fina had said that the Green Moon brought the powers of renewal and restoration, of newness. Healing magic, vitality, was the domain of the emerald moonstones. 

“She’s amazing.” Fina marveled, in a breathy whisper. Vyse swallowed back another sip of his drink, his throat still dry. 

“She is.” He agreed hoarsely. 

“Is she the kind of girl you’re looking for?” Fina asked, so innocently that Vyse, still entranced by Merida’s erotic display, had to blink before he caught the hitch in her voice. Without turning his head, he bent his eyes sidewards to glance at the Silvite. 

She had one hand up to the side of her head, brushing back her headdress to curl a finger in her blond tresses. Like she was worried. Or lost in contemplation.

“No. Not really.” Vyse managed to answer. 

“What kind of girl  _ are _ you looking for?” Fina asked, and turned her head slightly to meet his eyes straight on.

Vyse didn’t dare blink. He knew what this was now. In her own way, Fina was doing exactly what Aika had tried days before when they were alone.

And Drachma, able to read the room better than any of them, stood up from his chair as the wood groaned, glass in hand, and walked by them. “I need some air.” He muttered gruffly, leaving Vyse alone with Fina and the Hortekan woman dancing up on stage to inspire them.

Trapping Vyse with Fina, really. The bastard.

 

What  _ did _ Vyse want? Well, that was easy. Or it had been, up until Fina stumbled into his life, into their lives, and suddenly Aika went from aggressively playful and friendly to...grabby and jealous. And just aggressive. It didn’t matter what he wanted, Vyse told himself. Because they were both…

Aika, always at his side. The first to step into danger with him. The one who knew how, even when he stood bold and proud in the face of danger, he still carried worries and doubts. A girl who was strong in her own right, proud...Always proving herself. 

Fina. Demure. Naive in most things, yet profoundly wise in others. Her smile could light up the room with warmth, and to make her laugh was an untold joy. She commanded a mastery of magic that left even Aika’s considerable skill in the dust, and her mind was a steel trap of forgotten lore. She had fallen into their lives like a meteor, changed everything, and somehow, still found her place. 

How could he choose either of them without hurting the other? Why did it just feel  _ right _ to have them both around? 

Moons, his mother had known before he had. ‘ _ Don’t string them along. A woman’s heart is more fragile than you know.’ _

What did he want? What kind of girl was he looking for?

_ I’m not looking. They found me.  _ And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Not when choosing one would hurt the other.

Not with the fate of the world riding on their shoulders.

“I want…” Vyse said, closing his eyes. “Someone strong enough to be themselves. Someone who wants to be in my life...and still have one of their own.”

Fina hmmed thoughtfully. “I see. If I understand you...you don’t want them just becoming a part of you and losing who they are. Or were.”

“Yes, exactly!” Vyse insisted. “Not like my mo…” And his eyes snapped open as his mouth clamped shut.

Fina just smiled at him. “Like your mother.” She finished. 

“...Yeah.” He mumbled, and looked back to Merida as the girl, now sweating lightly along her forehead, came to the conclusion of her dance. 

Fina leaned into him, and her head fell against his shoulder. His traitorous hand came up and pulled her closer on reaction alone. 

“I would think that any girl you liked enough to be in a relationship with would be strong enough to remember who she was.” Fina sighed. “It’s not about giving up who you are, you know. Or it shouldn’t be.”

“What is it, then?” Vyse rasped.

“It’s caring enough about someone to want to be in their life...and still allowing them to have their own.” She said, and sighed again when his hand rubbed up and down the side of her arm.

“Sounds hard.” Vyse admitted. 

“Harder than going up against an empire trying to rule the world?” Fina suggested playfully, and Vyse chuckled.

“Hell. Sounds almost easy by comparison.”

“It depends on how much room you have in your heart.” The Silvite nuzzled his shoulder, and that was just enough to make him freeze. She went still, and Vyse pulled his arm away from her, scooted away from her side. “I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s all right.” Vyse waved off her shaky apology, breathing deep. It had gotten...too real, too quickly. He turned and looked to Merida, who stood there, panting and flushed as she looked to Vyse and Fina. “I think I know why the village elder asked us to visit with everyone, Merida. I understand your pain now.”

“And I will go with you when you tell him you are ready to help us.” The dancer promised. “Quetya has sent us a warrior, and now you carry our strength. Are you ready for what is to come?”

This, Vyse knew. Relationships? Hard. But living up to the Code of the Blue Rogues? Fighting Valua? Saving the world?

“Born ready.” He promised Merida. Fina, looking a little disappointed, rallied well enough to smile at him and Merida, and give them both her usual respectful nod. 

She was hurt a little, but nothing compared to how hurt she would be if he gave in. Or how hurt Aika would be. If he chose.

He would stick to keeping them both as friends.

That was hard enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, Skies of Arcadia has a problem. They have too many NPCs that are just shallowly made. Centime's wife. Vyse's mother. They never get names or motivations. And isn't that just plain stupid? At the same time, there are openings for characters in places, but instead we only get 'Random Black Market Salesperson NPC'. Which, okay fine, it's an RPG and we don't really need the life story of every shopkeeper you sell monster parts to for mithril equipment, but still.
> 
> As I'm writing a story meant to fill in the blanks, I'm going to frigging fill them in. So HA!


	11. Burn It All Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which bargains are made and hearts are broken...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Eleven: Burn It All Down**

* * *

 

_ 67 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Late Afternoon _

_ Central Ixa’taka _

  
  


Aika didn’t know how Vyse had managed it. Somehow, in the space of the few hours between when the rest of the crew went off and left her alone with Hans, his adopted mother Carol, and the rusted out  _ Iron Clad _ , the youngest Blue Rogue captain had managed to not only get the Hortekans to cooperate with them, but also to be more sympathetic towards them. When she tried asking him straight out, he just shrugged with an idle smile and said that ‘you had to be there for it.’ Drachma was next to useless, as he claimed whatever had happened, he wasn’t around for it.

And Fina...Moons, she was back to wanting to  _ strangle _ the girl. Fina beamed as if she’d stumbled across buried treasure, and said the absolute worst thing she could have. 

_ “All anyone has to do is see his heart and they know that he is a good man worth putting their faith in.” _

Wasted time. Hurt feelings. A lingering bitterness. 

Carol, of course, had seen right through her. Only a woman could. She and Hans had worked up a storm in the ship’s engine room, piecing it back to rights. They hadn’t been able to take care of it completely, but Aika had been able to help Hans draw up a list of parts he would need, and write down the exact sequence of repairs. The ship would sail again in time…

But then Carol had come in, asked Hans if she could ‘borrow’ Aika for some help with the chores...and grilled her to within an inch of her life while they were out hanging clothes to dry. It was funny how quickly the older woman, mother to an extended family of orphans, could see to the heart of her troubles. And how easy she made the solution sound.

_ “My husband Centime was just as clueless back when we were younger. Every hint I dropped just flat out escaped his notice. So, if you want Vyse to see you as more than just his childhood friend, my dear...you’re going to have to beat him over the head with it. It worked for me.” _

Her face had stopped being colored completely red by the time that Vyse, Fina, and Drachma had returned, but it didn’t make it any less aggravating. She needed  _ time _ to get him by himself if she was going to follow through on Carol’s advice. But time was something they didn’t have. They loaded up the moonstone fuel Hans provided them for the cause, fired up the  _ Little Jack’s _ engines, and set sail for the north, to the hidden encampment where the king of the Ixa’takan people lay in hiding. 

Then they’d smelled the sting of ash and saw billowing clouds of smoke in the distance…

And she was denied another chance at getting Vyse alone. The Valuans were out in force, and burning the forest down.

That, they could not let stand.

 

***

 

The ship, according to the intelligence that Lorenzo had given them, was called the  _ Chameleon _ . It was the flagship of Admiral De Loco, who was in charge of the 5th Fleet. The name was not unknown to them; De Loco’s research laboratories were always churning out something, and some of his magical developments, augment glyphs that mimicked the enhancing magics of the red and blue moons, were down in storage for the next time they went racing into a fight. It was said that De Loco was an unparalleled genius. What was left out was that De Loco was, in fact, a crazed lunatic as well.

He was willing to burn down an  _ entire jungle rainforest _ just to locate the ancient city of Rixis, after all.

Aika grimly went racing from one spot-fire to the next with a portable fire suppression system, doing her best alongside Fina to undo the damage from the last blaze that raked the ship. “Vyse, I hope you’ve got a plan to deal with that flamethrower cannon of his!” She shouted. “Or did it escape your notice that we’re flying in a  _ wooden airship _ ?!”

The door to the wheelhouse was still open, swinging wildly as Vyse banked them around. Not for the first time, Aika was glad for the carabiner line and harness she’d attached inside of the wheelhouse’s door before stepping out; doubly glad that she’d fitted Fina for one as well. She was buckling a little meandering around on the foredeck of a ship in active combat, but Fina resembled a spinning drunk. In time, she’d become a seasoned crewmember…

Aika only had a moment to regret the world they lived in, that she had to learn how to maneuver aboard a ship locked in active combat. Then the fires beckoned.

“Oh, I’ve got a plan!” Vyse growled. “This guy’s pissed me off enough to try something  _ stupid! _ ”

_ “Boy, is this the kind of stupid that gets my ship even more banged up, or the kind of stupid that  _ prevents _ it?” _ Drachma’s voice growled up from the speaking tube out of the gundeck. 

Aika strained to hear Vyse over the sound of compressed aera dioxin blowing out of her extinguisher’s nozzle. “The kind that screws De Loco over and sends him limping back home with his face blown off!”

Her tank ran dry right as Aika finished with the last of the spot fires on the deck, and she charged back into the wheelhouse. “Whatever you’re going to do, Vyse, I suggest you get to it, because we’re fresh out of flame retardant!” She jangled the empty canister for emphasis, and Vyse got that fierce look in his eye that made her heart skip a beat and make her grin uncontrollably. It was his look that refused to accept anything as  _ impossible _ . The look that screamed,  _ The more you throw at me, the harder I keep swinging. _ Because Vyse was, at his core a Blue Rogue, and Blue Rogues Never Gave Up. 

It took her breath away as some final piece of herself finally slipped into place, nudged and jostled by Fina, and their quest, and this whole whirlwind mess to save the world. Just how beautiful he was when he was like this. 

Oh, Moons.

 

Oblivious to her dumbfounded realization, Vyse was locked into the moment. “Fina! Aika! Get on the Harpoon Cannon, and try and speed up the charge sequence!” Aika sucked in a deep breath and looked over to her shipmate, and the two shared a nod that was all purpose and intent. They raced for the moonstone access line, a rigged up panel along the side of the wheelhouse with two impressions where hands could go. Ordinarily, just one person would stand there, one hand to each. 

But now, Aika stood beside Fina, and each took a feeder line. Aika shut her eyes, breathed in and out to center herself, and  _ pushed _ . 

The Harpoon Cannon had never charged so fast.

 

“Holy…!” Vyse yelped as the gauge of the Harpoon Cannon’s charge peaked with a beep. “Whatever you two are doing, keep it up! I’m bringing us into position!”

With her eyes closed and focused on the task of keeping the  _ Little Jack’s _ main weapon ready, Aika couldn’t see Vyse make the ship dance around the distant  _ Chameleon _ , but she could certainly feel it. There was nothing unplanned in how Vyse steered the ship, no unnecessary jinks. After two passes of dealing with that ship, its subcannons, and that monstrous flamethrower off of its nose, he’d figured out how De Loco’s crew flew it. 

He’d figured out how to get into position.

“Get ready, Drachma!” Vyse shouted out, and then there was the familiar whine as the Harpoon Cannon powered up and began to spin on its launcher. Aika cracked her eyes open just in time to see them racing right for the  _ Chameleon _ in a head-on pass, and the flamethrower was getting ready to spew gouts of burning liquid all over them.

Vyse punched the firing toggle for the Harpoon Cannon, the spiraling barb flew off...and the  _ Chameleon  _ never got the chance. The hit impacted on the canister of fuel beneath the nozzle, and once depressurized, the contents spewed out in all directions, ignited, and exploded in a terrifying backblast that shredded the bow of the Valuan warship. 

Down on the gundeck, Drachma immediately started reeling the harpoon’s line back in. The  _ Chameleon _ , or what was left of the charred, burning hulk that was now more black than green, turned around and started limping north.

Vyse allowed himself a dark chuckle. “That’s right, De Loco. You had to go and mess with someone who had a bigger cannon than you did.” He leaned the ship over slightly to get a better look at the burning forest below and frowned. “Damn. How much did he just put to the torch?”

“Less than he could have.” Aika pointed out, sliding in beside him and pressing her hands to his shoulder. A rumble from the skies outside caught their attention, and they saw the low-hanging stormclouds, gentle things full of rain and no real lightning, sweeping in towards them. A curtain of moisture hung beneath them. “And it looks like the forest isn’t going to be burning for very long after all.”

Fina hmmed in satisfaction, taking up position on Vyse’s other side. “The Green Civilization used to have a saying...the forest provides.” She said cheerfully. “It’s nice to see that it’s still true.”

 

***

 

_ The King’s Hideout _

 

Guided by the information provided by Horteka’s chieftain, Vyse had guided the  _ Little Jack _ to a nondescript floating island covered in trees up in the northern portion of the Ixa’takan lands, on the eastern side of the divide. Underneath the cover of a thick canopy of trees was a log hut guarded by no less than four armed guards who brandished their spears as they walked along a barely visible path. Once they’d identified themselves, things became far more civil.

The reason quickly became apparent once they were in the presence of King Ixa’taka himself. “I would greet you with more fanfare, heroes who stand against the invaders, but...alas, this retreat has little of the creature comforts that my palace did.”

Aika instantly thought back to a grand square pyramid that they had flown over on the trip after the showdown, riddled with holes and crumbling walls that were clearly the work of Valuan cannonfire. Vyse must have had the same thought, because his eyes dimmed a little before he nodded. “We passed by it on our journey, your majesty. We are sorry for its loss. The Valuans have a habit of doing things like that.”

The king was in his late 20’s or early 30’s, with a slim build and a hat that was too ridiculous for words.It might have been ceremonial. No, scratch that. Ugly as it was, it  _ had _ to be ceremonial. But then there were those wooden masks that the Hortekans liked to wear…

“Messengers from Horteka came in advance of you.” The king informed them, and Aika caught Drachma crossing his arms and huffing a little. “They said that you were not our enemies, and after what you did to send their ship running away, I believe it. So, what brought you here to Ixa’taka?”

Vyse took a step forward away from the rest of them and got down on one knee, genuflecting a little. The king seemed to like that, and Aika had to admit, Vyse was getting pretty good at making friends wherever he went. He’d made friends in Maramba pretty easily as well.

Then he laid it all out for the king, matter of fact. The king leaned on his arm, going deep into thought. 

“A Moon Crystal. And Rixis.” He mused. “The Valuans are intent on finding Rixis as well, though you seem to have a better motivation for it. Still, I am afraid that much has been lost to legend, and if Rixis exists…”

“It exists.” Fina declared, with the absolute certainty she had in matters her unique education had covered. “Or, it  _ did _ exist, in ancient times.”

The king blinked at the assertion, then nodded once. “Unfortunately, finding Rixis would mean studying the myths and legends of our people, and to our shame, only my chief priest, Isapa, would know of these in enough detail to be of help to you.”

“So, we need to meet with this Isapa then?” Vyse asked.

“That would be difficult.” The king said sadly. “Being as Isapa is currently being held prisoner in the sacred mountain by the Valuans. Like so many of my people.”

Aika couldn’t help the scowl. “That mountain is heavily patrolled. We saw it off in the distance when we first got here.”

“Seein’ as the Valuans are likely using it as a source of raw moonstones for their war machine, the military presence is expected.” Drachma pointed out. “They’d look at it as protectin’ their investment.”

Vyse exhaled. “An investment. Enslaving the locals to work in an illegal mine as slave labor is an  _ investment. _ ” He was quiet, and his voice was even, and Aika shivered at it. He was angry. No, he was  _ livid. _ “We heard stories in Horteka that were much the same. The Valuans either trampled over them roughshod or clapped their families in irons and dragged them off to work in the mine. It’s as effective a prison as there can be, and the Valuans were good at killing prisoners in unsafe working conditions long before they came here. They were doing it to their own people, and to their enemies in Mid-Ocean.”

The king’s face paled. “The Valuans are monsters.”

“Their leadership and their military is, aye.” Drachma conceded. “So. To find Rixis, we’d need this priest of yours. Isapa.”

“Who’s being held inside of the Moonstone Mountain. Along with a great many of your people.” Aika added. 

“Only one thing for it, really.” Vyse concluded, and the smile returned to his voice. “We’ll just sneak in and bust him out.”

Somebody should have laughed at that; they really needed to. Vyse was in the habit of doing crazy things and making outlandish promises, but really, Aika wasn’t all that surprised. She looked over to see that Fina was just smiling with the sort of knowing expression that came with exposure, while Drachma merely looked up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh.

Only the king seemed taken aback at Vyse’s plan, or lack of one. “But, how?”

Vyse chuckled at that. “Sneaking past patrols? Used to it. Busting out of heavily defended Valuan facilities? We’ve done that, too. Rescue missions?” And here, he looked over at Fina, who blushed a little and averted her gaze. “We could probably give lessons on it.” Vyse looked back at the king and allowed himself to become serious again. “If Isapa is who we need to talk to to find Rixis and the Green Moon Crystal, then we’ll bring him back to you in one piece. We’re Blue Rogues, your majesty. We always help those in need.” He yawned. “But, we’d be better off tackling it tomorrow.”

“Of course.” The king said good-naturedly. “You are welcome to stay aboard your ship, but I would be happy to let you stay in a longhouse we have available. It is normally used for the wounded, but it is empty right now.”

“I’ll stay with the ship.” Drachma said. “Got to keep an eye on it.” 

Vyse looked over to Aika and Fina, hesitating. “I wouldn’t mind sleeping in an actual bed for a change, but...it wouldn’t exactly be proper for me to share quarters with the girls.”

“Not a problem.” The king smiled. “Your female companions can make use of the longhouse. You, my Blue Rogue, I invite to stay here in my guard quarters this evening, so that you will be well-rested for your journey tomorrow.” 

“Now that, your majesty, seems like a good idea.” Vyse chuckled.

Aika closed her eyes, strongly disagreeing with it herself.

 

***

 

_ The Guest Longhouse _

  
  


As strung out as they all were, Aika had to admit that the offer of lodging was greatly appreciated. So was the bath. An actual tub with  _ actual _ water was a blissful change of pace from a bucket and a grimy towel. Over the duration of their eight weeks sailing the Southern Ocean, water preservation had been key, especially in the last leg when there was nothing but constant and unceasing wind. They hadn’t had time for a proper bath. Fina had taken hers first while Aika had worked on dinner. Afterwards, the Silvite girl had come back out not in her usual outfit, but in a soft homespun robe provided by the king, dyed a gentle green. Freed from its usual veil and out of her dress and the white and silver leggings she always wore beneath them, Fina looked less regal, less Princess-y...stepping gently around on bare feet with bare calves that poked out from the hem of the soft robe, her blonde hair still wet trailing down her neck and stopping short of her shoulders? She was positively domestic. 

Those soft blue eyes of hers, piercingly bright, traced over Aika’s weary body as she stirred at the pot. The Silvite sidled in beside her, pulled her robe’s sleeve back to expose pale skin that never quite tanned, and reached for the spoon of the pot. 

“Stew?” Fina asked.

“I borrowed one of the pots from the galley on the ship.” Aika replied. “Figured Drachma wouldn’t be missing it. You know how he prefers his food.”

“Overcooked or roasted on a spit?” Fina said, and smiled again. She had so many smiles. The I’m-trying-to-be-polite-but-you’re-getting-on-my-nerves smile, her I’m-not-really-happy-but-I-can-fake-it smile, and her I’m-glad-to-be-here-with-all-of-you-general-happiness smile. But the one she gave Aika then made the redhead’s breathing hitch a little, because it was the rarest smile Fina had that she was getting from her now. 

The smile where she was actually relaxed enough to just let down all of her walls and show a glimmer of actual personality. Aika mustered a weak chuckle and nudged the other girl’s shoulder with her own. “You don’t mind? Stew?”

“I could eat anything.” Fina said honestly, sighing a little at the end. She sniffed the air with a touch of theatricality. “But maybe not when it smells like a burning ship.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I don’t burn my…” Aika started, but paused when Fina just stared at her and raised an eyebrow. “Oh. You’re talking about me.”

Fina giggled a little, and used her free hand to gently push Aika away from the wood-burning cookstove. “Go on. It’s your turn for the bath, and Moons know you probably need one as bad as I did. I’ll keep an eye on dinner.” Fina hadn’t tied the belt of her borrowed green robe tight enough, and it fell away from her shoulder, revealing pale, unmarred skin. 

Unblemished, not a freckle to be seen, and the line of it dipping towards her chest…

“Whatever you say, Princess.” Aika snorted, and turned towards the bathroom before Fina could catch her staring.

The water in the tub was tepid, but still carried the strong floral scent of…

Well. Aika snorted a little as she stuck her hand in the water and used a bit of magic to reheat the water to a proper steaming temperature. She was going to smell like Fina after this, but she was too tired to care. She’d just have to put up with smelling like a flower garden.

She peeled her smoky, sweaty, and oil-stained clothes off, leaving them piled in a heap on the floor, then started to undo the knots in her hair. The twin tails that always jutted up were perfect for the kind of work she dealt with; elbows-deep in machinery or diving into combat. But the gnarled mess that her hair turned into was the problem. Baked in the smoke of their last ship engagement, weathered by the voyage, and tucked up in the twin tails for longer than they should have been, it was tangled, it was coarse, and probably full of split ends.

Aika let out an irritated huff and sank into the water, reveling in the feel of it soaking into her skin.

“Hell of a day.” She said to herself with a twinge of sarcasm. Lying in the tub, Aika looked down at herself. Athletic. Toned. Perky.

Not like Fina. She was soft, and curvy, and…

Okay, damn it, fine. Hers were bigger, and that ate at Aika’s self-confidence. She sank into the water all the way, letting water flood into her ears.

But with her eyes closed, she could see the way Vyse looked at the Silvite. The way his eyes liked to trace the shape of her body, the line of her upper back that her dress always exposed. Aika burst up out of the water and scowled, reaching for a washcloth and starting the process of scrubbing her skin clean. She was rougher than she needed to be, but she welcomed the pain. 

“So. I need to make a move?” She asked herself, thinking back to the conversation she’d had with Carol. “Fine. Blue Rogues never give up, right?”

 

***

 

“Are you all right?” Fina asked, after Aika had dressed in a similar robe and came out for dinner. “You seem a little out of sorts.”

“Just thinking about things.” Aika told her, accepting the bowl of stew that the other girl dished out without any fanfare. She took a spoonful of it to taste, and blinked in surprise. “Wow. This is good.”

“Over a month of helping out with the cooking, and you thought I would be  _ bad _ at this?” Fina asked, giving that tender and unguarded smile of hers again. “Besides. You gave it a good start. And the Ixa’takans have a lot of wonderful herbs that grow around here.”

“We’ll have to take some with us when we get done here then.” Aika chuckled, sitting down at the small table. She poured herself and Fina a glass of low-alcoholic loqua and waited for the other girl to sit down across from her. “Although we should probably ask for the dried varieties. They would store better.”

The two ate in companionable silence for several minutes before Fina decided to speak up again. “We’ll be fine tomorrow, you know that, right? We’re going to save them.”

Aika swallowed down the bite she’d been savoring and blinked over at the other girl. “Hm? What do you mean?”

Fina frowned. “The people in the mines.”

“Oh.” Aika considered that. “Maybe not all at once.” Fina seemed ready to argue, but Aika stopped her by holding up her hand. “I want to save them, too. But you saw what kind of defenses they have in place around that mine. We can only  _ guess _ at the forces they have inside of it. And there’s only four of us, and a ship that was not  _ designed _ for extended engagements. Not the kind of knockdown, ship-of-the-line fight we’d be dealing with if we faced them head-on.”

“Strange, that you would suddenly caution restraint.” Fina mused, poking at the dregs of her bowl. Like she was deciding to go back for a second helping or not. “Isn’t Vyse usually the one who holds you back from crazy ideas?”

Aika stared at her. “Maybe we take turns.” She suggested. “I can’t always be the crazy one.”

Fina laughed at that. “True. Whose idea was it to storm a  _ moving train _ to save me again?”

“Vyse’s. Come to think of it, that entire mess of a rescue was his idea.” Aika mumbled petulantly. “But I doubt anything else would have worked. He can be a real genius when he has to be.”

“He wears the burden of command well.” Fina agreed, and the admiration in her voice was absolute. “He is strong and confident when he needs to be. But I imagine there are times he has to balance that with moments of weakness.”

“Vyse? Weak?” Aika scoffed at that. “He’s never weak.”

“He never doubts? Or worries?” Fina asked unsurely. “Even for a moment?”

That made Aika flinch, and she reached for her Loqua, draining the rest in one go. “He...once. Once, he did. Right before we left to rescue you, and our Blue Rogue family.” 

Fina looked at her, measuring her somehow. “And you saved him.”

“Of course I did.” The redhead declared haughtily. “I’m his best friend. I’m his First Mate. I’m…” And there, she stuttered on the last part.  _ I’m his. And he’s mine. _

Fina misread the silence. “He’s lucky to have you as a friend.” The Silvite complimented her. “I know I’m glad to have you as one.” 

“Thanks.” Aika shifted. “And thank you for finishing the cooking.”

“It was my pleasure.” Fina collected up the dishes and took them over to the kitchen washtub to be cleaned. “You’re looking much better. I like it when you leave your hair down like that.”

“Well, it’s hard to fight with it when it’s not tied up.” Aika joked. “Truth be told, I’ve had half a mind to cut it short.”

“No!” Fina all but shouted, whirling around with wide eyes. “You shouldn’t do that. Your hair is lovely when it’s like this. It would take forever to grow it back out again.”

Aika blinked at the startling rebuke. “Well, your hair is long, and you manage.”

Fina pouted a little and went for another bowl, dipping up a third helping of stew. “Yours is longer.”

_ She’s jealous _ , Aika realized, and her hand went to her hair, running through the long red tresses. “Well...I guess I won’t cut it then.” She resolved.

“Good.” Fina smiled. “Would you mind cleaning up the dishes? I was going to take Vyse a bowl of stew and say goodnight.”

“Oh, I can do that.” Aika suddenly cut in. Fina blinked.

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah.” Aika gave her a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Been a long day. I’ll take care of the dishes when I get back, get ‘em all done at once.”

“But, your clothes…”

“We’ll wash ‘em tomorrow before we take off. We’ll have time.” Aika said confidently, taking the bowl from Fina and heading for the door. “It’s okay to take a night off every once in a while.”

“Well, all right.” Fina still seemed a little unsure, but she conceded the lead to Aika. “See you when you get back?”

“You don’t have to wait up for me.” Aika told Fina, feeling a pulse of warmth run through her.  _ If this goes right, you won’t be seeing me again tonight at all. _

Fina nodded again, and Aika left. She was done meandering. It was time to make a move.

 

***

 

Vyse had been assigned a bunk in the soldier’s lodge, but he came out quickly when Aika knocked on the door and called inside with a hushed whisper. She slid the bowl of stew into his hands and thrilled to see the grateful smile he gave her in return. A bit of loud laughter from inside made him wince and shut the door behind him, leaving them out in the night air. It was cooler than it had been with the sun up, but the moisture in the air and the clouds had trapped much of the heat of the day. It was warm enough that Aika didn’t shiver in her robe, and Vyse still had a faint sheen of sweat clinging just beneath his hairline. 

“Too noisy in there.” He decided.

“So, why don’t we go for a walk?” Aika asked innocently, pulling her arms behind her back and rocking back and forth on her bare feet. The movement drew his eyes down, and there was a momentary thrill when she felt the heat of his gaze run across her throat before settling on her ankles. “I think I saw a good place to sit a ways off over there.” She gestured.

“By all means, lead on.” He said, already digging into the stew with vigor. Well. There was a compliment to her cooking skills...as well as Fina’s. 

Meandering through the jungle of the small island, they reached the small clearing with a few medium-sized boulders strewn about. A break in the tree cover revealed a night sky blemished by only faint traces of clouds, and the faint gleam of the green moon with the points of starlight shining through the soft emerald haze. 

“This is good stew.”

“Glad you think so. Fina and I made it together.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow at that, and she blushed a little before reaching over and shoving him lightly in the arm, not hard enough to make him spill any.

“I’ll have you know we get along fine now. I started it, and she finished it.”

“My compliments to both of you then.” Vyse chuckled. 

Aika guided them over to one of the boulders which was at just the right height to lean against, and also hop up on if the need to sit became too great. Vyse kept shoveling his dinner away, which gave Aika plenty of time to consider her options. She wanted to approach this right.

She wanted to leave no room for misinterpretation. He’d always been clueless before, after all. And finally,  _ finally _ , she was alone with him. She’d tricked Fina into giving her this chance. 

Moons, had the other girl been planning to do the same thing?

“You’re thinking too hard.” Vyse said, snapping her out of the wild spin her thoughts were in. “I can see the smoke coming out of your ears.”

“Well.” Aika puffed her cheeks out, blushing a bit at the gentle barb. “I’ve had a lot to think about. We all have a lot to think about.”

“Tomorrow, you mean.” Vyse murmured.

“It’s not going to be easy, you know.” Aika pointed out, folding her arms over her chest, reveling in the feel of her robe’s long green sleeves against her bare arms. She was all too conscious of how she had just the simplest of undergarments on underneath it. It made her feel...braver. “I can only imagine the kind of defenses they’d have to keep the workers trapped inside.”

“Well, something else to consider.” Vyse mused. “I’ve been thinking about it myself. Down here, in Ixa’taka, have the Valuans really had anyone that could stand up to them? Give them a decent fight?”

Aika thought about for a bit. “No.” She decided. “They haven’t.”

“Exactly.” Vyse went on, a little sad at that fact. “But that means, they’ve gotten lazy. And lazy Valuans…”

“...are easy pickings for Blue Rogues.” Aika finished, grinning as she caught on. “Damn. They won’t be expecting it. Just so long as we can get past their patrols.”

“Refuge in audacity.” Vyse looked as though he would be strutting, were he not leaned up against a rock. He spooned up the last of the stew, swallowed it back with a satisfied hum, and then set the bowl aside. “Moons. You know, there are times I have to pinch myself?”

“Why?”

“Because of where we are. Of what we’re doing. And who we’re with.” He laughed heartily at that. “Three months ago, Aika, we were still just crewmembers on the  _ Albatross _ . And now?” He shook his head. “It’s a whole new world.”

“Hm.” Aika took a step closer to him, drew in a breath, and leaned against him. It felt natural, and he didn’t resist. They’d always had this closeness. “You did say you wanted to see the world.”

“Yeah, but like  _ this?” _ Vyse waved an arm out in front of him. “It’s crazy.”

“You have to be a  _ little _ crazy to be a Blue Rogue.” Aika reminded him. “Or at least, you always said that.”

“Just to drive my dad nuts.” He sighed. “But. I’m beginning to think that there’s truth in it.”

Her head against his arm, Aika realized that he was tense. Far too tense, because he usually relaxed when she leaned into him.

“You’re worried, though.” She murmured. 

“Of course I’m worried. It’s still a gamble. It’s  _ always _ a gamble. Risking my life? Fine. But I’m risking yours, and Fina’s. And even Drachma’s, come to think of it. So, yeah. Refuge in audacity? Sure. But beyond that, we have to be careful. I have to be careful.”

Aika felt a hitch of something catch in her chest. It was all suddenly too real. What Fina had asked her, just minutes before. And her answer, and Fina’s response.

_ He’s lucky to have you as his friend. _

But it wasn’t enough anymore. 

“A night like this, Vyse...worrying about tomorrow, you worry about regrets at all?” She inquired, voice softer than she’d been all day.

“Some.” He admitted. “It’s why I try to live every day to the fullest.”

“Because it might be your last.” She licked her lips, felt her heart thrum.

“Blue Rogues fly free.” He tilted his head up towards the heavens, staring at the stars. 

He wasn’t paying attention to her. It was all the opportunity she needed. She spun around, pressed against him. Wrapped her arms around his head and pulled it to her. He froze solid, his eyes went wide.

“Aika, what the hell....” He started to rasp.

Aika smirked at him, leaned her face in closer, and watched the flecks in his irises reflect the green moonlight. “I don’t want any regrets either.”

Before he could stutter a refusal, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him hard. Unpracticed, inexperienced, she worked her lips against his until he finally gave in, groaned, and parted his lips. 

The feel of his tongue darting into her mouth made her blood burn, and for a need of something to grab on to, her fingers clawed at his back. He wrapped her body in his arms and spun them around, smashing her into the rock that he had been leaning against only moments before. When he pulled away from her mouth and took his lips and his teeth to her neck, Aika’s brain melted to mush. She heard herself moan as she clutched a hand to the back of his head, pulling him closer.

“Yes...Moons, Vyse,  _ yes _ …”

He pressed his thighs against hers, pinning her to the rock, and instinct made her bring up a long and shapely leg, rubbing it frantically against his. His hands sought the collar of her robe, pulling the edges away to expose more of her shoulders, and the freckled skin above her breasts. His hot mouth went from her neck, tracing a line of kisses along her clavicle to the curve of her right shoulder. 

It was everything she thought she had wanted. She was a fool. She wanted  _ more _ . An ache that had never felt so pure, so  _ right _ , burned in her center, and gasping for air, his name on her lips, she ground her hips into his.

The kisses stopped, and Vyse, marvelous,  _ wonderful man _ that he was, went as stiff as the hardness in his trousers she had been grinding against.

 

He pulled away from her, fast, too fast for her to react, and she fell to the ground in a heap with a cry, disheveled, flushed, her lips bruised.

“Ow.” She moaned, and from pain this time. She rubbed at the back of her head with her eyes shut, where the rock had struck it during her collapse. “Vyse, what the hell was that for? Why did you stop?!”

He didn’t say anything, but she could hear the hard panting coming from him. She finally rubbed enough of the pain away that she could crack her eyes open.

He stood there, pale as a sheet and mortified. Ashamed.

“This...I shouldn’t have...we…” He said hoarsely, and she realized that he was not looking at her face, but down at her body. She looked down and realized that he could see the top of one breast, just covered enough by her robe to hide its peak. 

It should have felt wonderful to have his eyes roaming her body. It was what she had wanted. His eyes, his hands, his wonderful mouth…

But the haunted look on his face tainted it all, and she felt nothing but embarrassment, slowly slipping the collar of her robe back into place. She looked up at him.

Vyse had closed his eyes, and now he ran a hand through his messy brown hair. “This was a mistake.” He muttered. “I can’t do this. We shouldn’t do this.”

It hurt more than she could put words to. 

“I’m a  _ mistake _ ?” She echoed hollowly. 

“I shouldn’t have kissed you.” He muttered. He was looking anywhere but her now, his eyes both exhausted and wildly dancing about. 

Aika pulled herself up to her feet, trying not to cry. She wouldn’t cry. “No regrets, Vyse. And I lo…”

“ _ Stop _ .” He cut her off, hissing the word. “Stop _. _ Don’t...don’t say that.”

She wouldn’t cry. “But I do.”

He looked miserable. Good. Served the bastard right. “I know you do.” He admitted to her, sounding even worse. “I’ve known for a while.”

“All this time, you...you  _ knew _ ?” She demanded, and the world went blurry. “But why did you never…”

“Because it wouldn’t be fair!”

She should have just run off. Moons, she really was a masochist, because she stayed. Lead in her feet, a stone in her chest, her blood frozen, she stayed. Her vision got even blurrier. “Fair to _ who _ , Vyse?” Aika choked out.  _ “Fair. To.  _ **_Who?_ ** _ ” _

She refused to bring a hand to her eyes, blurry as they were. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t.

Vyse sucked in air with a shaky, ragged inhale, worked up enough strength to stand tall. And he finally met her eyes.

“You know who, Aika.” He said, without any quaver whatsoever.

The rest of the world slipped away from Aika. The bottom dropped out of her stomach, and she chuffed softly. She might have smiled, she thought. It didn’t feel like a smile, though.

“You really are a  _ pirate _ .” She hissed, and ran from the clearing as fast as she could in a robe not meant for running.

He didn’t even call out after her.

 

***

 

She pulled the door to the guest longhouse open so fast that it slammed into the outer wall with a bang, and inside, Fina let out a cry of dismay. Aika couldn’t work up the nerve to give a damn. One look at the blonde-haired girl instantly had her running from grief to rage.

Fina, sitting up in her bed, had a hand pressed over her heart. “Moons, Aika, you scared…What happened?” She threw the covers back and stood up.

Blind fury, burning jealousy. Aika clenched her jaw. “Nothing happened.” She walked on, storming for the bathroom.

Fina scowled and came after her. “Something happened. You’re crying, your hair is a mess, there are grass stains on your robe.”

“Leave it alone,  _ Princess _ .” Aika snarled.

Not that Fina ever did. She reached her hands out, and grabbed hold of Aika’s arm before she could cross into the threshold of the bathroom. “Aika, please! Tell me what’s wrong, let me help…”

Aika heard a scream, and when she came to a second later, she realized it was her own. Lying on the floor beneath her with wide eyes and a hurt expression, Fina had a hand pressed to her cheek, and underneath it, the skin was quickly turning a bright red. Aika couldn’t place the cause until she felt her palm throbbing. 

She had hit her. She had hit Fina, and she didn’t know whether to feel guilty or fulfilled.

“Just leave me  _ alone! _ ” Aika shrieked, and dove into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Chest heaving, she crumpled on the floor next to her soiled clothes and finally stopped lying to herself.

She was crying. After she’d gotten enough out that she just felt empty and raw instead of agonized, Aika wiped her tears away and reached for her clothes. The bathwater was still there, and with another low-grade Pyri spell, she heated the water enough to start cleaning them.

 

Thirty minutes later, her clothes and the stupid green robe hanging up to dry, Aika finally cracked the door to the rest of the longhouse open and looked around. It was completely dark, and Fina had retreated to her bed. 

No movement, and no noise. Stuck with nothing but her panties and her chest wrap, Aika mutely went to her own bed, slipped under the covers, and tried to think about anything else except Vyse, or the ache that would never go away.

Twenty minutes of sleepless tossing and turning later, she heard the creak of footsteps in the longhouse, and felt the presence of Fina come up behind her. The covers were lifted, and the Silvite slipped in behind her.

Aika felt her eyes tear up all over again, and wondered how she still had them to spare. She was shaking too, until Fina’s arms wrapped around her body, and the girl’s forehead rested against her naked back.

Vyse had chosen Fina, and Aika had made an utter fool of herself. 

_ You were wrong, Carol. I shouldn’t have tried at all. _

“What happened?” Fina’s breathy voice, concerned, worried, asked from behind her.

She had stolen Aika’s best friend away from her. She shouldn’t have cared what happened to Aika. But Fina did, and it broke Aika’s heart clean through.

Aika couldn’t hate Fina, much as she wanted to. Because she still needed this.

“Aika.” Fina’s hands came to rest over her bare stomach, pulling her close. Unconsciously, one of the girl’s fingers sought out her navel, as if to anchor her in place. “Please. Please tell me.”

A single sob broke the silence as Aika shivered in Fina’s arms, cradled from behind.

“He didn’t want me.” Aika mourned, too tired to hide. Too tired to care just how pathetic she sounded. “He didn’t want me.”

Fina’s arms tightened around her, and though the Silvite never said another word, Aika could feel her voice all the same through her body language.

She was sorry.


	12. Sailor's Liberty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Centime the Tinker is rescued by Vyse and his merry band, and Vyse learns an unsettling truth about his father's unspoken history...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Twelve: Sailor’s Liberty**

* * *

  
  


_ 68 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Moonstone Mine, Southern Ixa’taka _

  
  


Centime wasn’t really a fan of nicknames, but at least the Valuan Admiralty had seen fit to give him one that wasn’t too outlandish. ‘The Tinker’ didn’t inspire fear and he preferred it that way. It was likely the main reason that his family had been spared when the Valuans stormed Horteka’s outskirts and found him; he was an engineer and former machinist’s mate first, and a captain a distant second. A captain third if he included being a foster father on the list. De Loco had no need of his talents; the unhinged inventor was notorious for designing and planning alone, relying on journals and second-hand accounts when his own genius didn’t suffice.

On the plus side, it meant that Centime wasn’t being hounded to design and manufacture anything that would help solidify the Valuan’s control over the local population. Boredom was a cheap price to pay for not being used as a weapon for the enemy.

Reclining on the lone cot in his room and doing his level best to ignore the chain around his ankle, Centime ran through the machinist’s tables for the fourth time and planned out fixes to his storm-beaten ship back in Horteka. Even if he never got the chance to manage it, he could at least hope that Hans would figure out a way to make the necessary repairs and give the rest of his family a fighting chance at escaping the Valuans. Maybe they’d even take some of the Ixa’takans with them, get the natives clear of the empire’s unceasing expansion.

He paused in his mental mapping of the  _ Iron Side _ ’s engine when he heard footsteps outside of his door. Centime glanced at his mechanical chronometer, one of the few things that the Valuans had allowed him to keep, and frowned. It wasn’t time for a shift change, and lunch had been two hours ago; far too soon for dinner. Some kind of trouble, then, something that they were coming to drag him off for interrogation again. With luck, they’d be a little gentler on his poor bruised stomach.

When the door flung open, though, it wasn’t Valuan guards who came wandering in. Instead, a boy on the cusp of adulthood with a wild mop of brown hair, a scar on his left cheek and a telescopic goggle lens over his right eye stepped inside with cutlasses raised. A half second behind him, a girl who kept her red hair bound in a pair of high pigtails followed in step with a leather glove clutching a moonstone-cored boomerang, its edge honed to worrying sharpness.

“You two seem a little young to be guards.” Centime ventured cautiously, not sure if they were here to free him or kill him.

The young man looked around the small prison cell for another half second before meeting Centime’s eyes, and his warlike posture relaxed. “We’re not guards, we’re Blue Rogues.” Centime blinked in surprise as the youth stowed his sabers. “The name’s Vyse. This is Aika, my First Mate.”

“A...well. I didn’t expect to meet Blue Rogues here.” Centime recovered after a pause. “Did my wife send you?”

“That would depend on who your wife is.” Aika said, coming over and examining the chain around his ankle.

Centime sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the chain taut. “Carol.” He smiled. “Who I hope is doing well in my absence.”

A flash of recognition passed over Aika’s eyes, and she glanced back to Vyse, who nodded.

“You’d be Centime, then.” Vyse declared, looking to the door as a heavyset older man with a thick shoulder-mounted prosthetic poked his head in.

“Time’s wasting, boy. We need to move.”

“On it, Drachma. You and Fina keep an eye on the other prisoners we freed.” Vyse gestured to Aika, who brought her boomerang down and sliced clean through the thick iron chain with its burning edge. Vyse came over and extended a hand, helping Centime stand. “We don’t have a lot of time, and a good portion of this escape we’re making up as we go along. We’re looking for the high priest of Ixa’taka, a man named Isapa.”

Centime stretched out his legs for a bit before adjusting his glasses. “I’ve heard of him.” The middle-aged Blue Rogue said. “But I haven’t seen him. I think the Valuans are keeping him on a different level of this facility.”

Vyse winced. “Not good. Sticking to the indirect routes has led us into way too many of De Loco’s traps.”

“If I had my tools, I could probably jury-rig the elevator to take you wherever you wanted to go, and gremlin up their traps a bit. But they confiscated my toolbelt when I was arrested.”

Aika let out a low chuckle, and produced a small multitool from her own sack. “What can you do with this?”

Centime took it from the redhead, examined all of its bobs and pieces, and felt a particularly wicked smile come to his face.

“I can cause more damage than a battleship.”

 

***

 

Step one, of course, was jiggering up the elevator to work without the mechanical passkeys that the Valuan guards were issued. To Centime’s tremendous joy, the electronic locking mechanism may have been complex on the surface if he had tried to lockpick it normally, but was rudimentary and simple underneath. He listened to Vyse explain their overall mission and reason for braving the Southern Ocean crossing, and tried not to panic too much. Focusing on the job helped to keep him calm when the young man started talking about Moon Crystals, Gigas, and the new and unsettling phase of Valua’s expansion. Four screws was all it took to get underneath the panel and start crossing the wires underneath.

“I get the feeling that De Loco is more of an idiot savant than a true genius.” Centime wagered aloud for the benefit of the Blue Rogues escorting the rescued Ixa’takans, all of who stood back a respectful distance while he worked. “This passkey system? It would require an entirely new generation of lockpicking tools to muster appropriately. But peel off the cover, and a first year Valuan mechanic can break this.”

“This is nothing. You should have seen how we got past his traps earlier.” Aika smirked.

“Oh? Just as easily broken?”

“No, even worse.” Fina, the blonde-haired girl in their company, piped up. “Trap doors, sure, but he used wire grating with them. You looked through, and you could see which paths had mine carts underneath them and which one didn’t.”

Centime snorted at that and stripped a few wires, using his gloved fingertips to twist them together to short-circuit the system. “One of these things is not like the other, indeed.” A green light flickered on, and he got to work on another set of wires. “So, Vyse. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of you before.”

“You might have heard of my father.” Vyse explained. “I’m the son of Dyne, ‘The Blue Storm’ as the piracy board calls him.”

Centime’s steady work stuttered out for a half second, and he got back to work with a cough. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. I’d heard he had a son, but we ran in very different circles. I think it’s been about 15 or 16 years since I last had the pleasure of Dyne’s company.” 

“Wow, that means you knew the captain back when he was young!” Aika said excitedly. Centime chuckled at her eagerness. “What was he like back then?”

“Full of fire and anger, but always directed towards the Valuan leadership.” Centime said. “To those who flew under him, to the innocents, he was respectful and a model officer.” 

One last twist of wires, and the elevator sprang to life, the passkey system now thoroughly bypassed. Centime stood back up with a sigh of satisfaction and pocketed the multitool. “There we go. My thanks for the use of your gear, First Mate Aika. Mind if I hang on to this?”

“You have plans for it?” Aika asked. Centime nodded, and motioned for the interior of the elevator. 

“There’s a map of the mine’s interior inside the lift. You should be able to use that to figure out where this priest of yours is being held. As for me, I’ll get these Ixa’takans clear of the mine, then I’m going to take a little detour and mess up as much of De Loco’s traps as I possibly can.” Aika looked ready to argue the point, but Centime cut her off with a shake of his head. “Look, this is one time it’s better to split up. Like Vyse said, we’re on a clock here, and if this priest of yours is as important to finding Rixis so you can keep the next crystal out of the Admiralty’s hands, divide and conquer is our best bet.” He stepped clear and smiled at them. “Don’t worry about us. I have a feeling that the guards will be too busy chasing after you to pay much attention to what me and the Ixa’takans are doing.”

“Sound enough logic. Let’s go, then.” The older Drachma huffed, moving past the children. Fina followed him right after, and Aika joined them on the lift next. Vyse lingered in the corridor however, sizing up Centime. The older Blue Rogue raised an eyebrow over the rim of his glasses. 

“Did you need something else, Vyse?”

“Just...something you said.” Vyse ventured cautiously. “You called my father an officer. But Blue Rogues really don’t use ranks.”

“Blue Rogues don’t have ranks, true, just positions.” Centime said, wondering what was concerning to Dyne’s son.

“So what did you mean?”

“I said what I meant. Dyne was one of the most respectable officers in the Armada before he, myself, and several others left.” Centime explained. And then he noticed just how pale Vyse’s face got when that tidbit was revealed. “You mean...your father never  _ told you? _ ”

“My father is a Blue Rogue.” Vyse ground out. “He can’t be Valuan.”

Centime exhaled. “Not as they are now, no.” Vyse looked ready to keep arguing, so Centime forestalled it by raising his hand. “Time, Vyse. We’re running out of time. We’ll talk more later, so get going.”

Vyse shook his head, but had enough sense to keep to the mission, regardless of the trouble brewing in his heart. And Centime, with years of experience in reading young men, couldn’t help but think that Vyse had more on his mind than just his father’s previously unknown past. Vyse got onto the lift, the shutters closed, and he and his friends disappeared.

Centime turned back to the other Ixa’takans, and caught sight of a few familiar faces from Horteka. They looked to him with hope and trust, and Centime smiled back at them, brandishing Aika’s multitool. “Come on.” He told them all. “We’re busting out of here.”

 

***

 

_ Moonstone Mine Rear Entrance _

  
  


It hadn’t really been all of that close a thing; Centime had been paraded around the halls enough that he deduced a safe route out for himself and the other prisoners. He didn’t even have to tell them to stay quiet more than once. The Valuans had taught them the value of going unseen and unnoticed, and the lesson had clearly been a painful one. Centime had guided them to the path and told them to look for the  _ Little Jack _ that Drachma had told him about, then gone back inside to mess up as many of the mechanisms as he could possibly get away with.

The result, to his satisfaction, included disabling several lesser traps, but also a major one in a room designed as little more than a deathtrap. When Vyse and the others appeared, they were looking particularly smug...and a rotund Ixa’takan in priestly garb was in their company.

“I’d say you succeeded.” Centime ventured with a chuckle. “This must be the Isapa you came to find.”

“Unfortunately.” Aika grumbled, stomping by and looking ready to kill something. Centime froze up a bit as Fina passed by with an apologetic bow, dragging Isapa behind her. He then looked to Vyse, who sighed and shrugged. “Isapa is...rather forward.”

“The man’s a lech.” Drachma clarified, strolling past. “And he’d better be worth the trouble, boy.”

“He will be.” Vyse said firmly, then looked to Centime once they were alone. “Sorry. It’s been...interesting. Had to deal with Admiral Alfonso again. The man’s still a twat, and he still doesn’t fight his own battles.”

Centime chuckled, and started down the winding path around the back of the mountain, Vyse staying close to his side. “I hate to say it, but his father wasn’t much better. So, aside from dealing with the most useless member of the Admiralty, smooth or rough going in there?”

“Smoother than I thought, rougher than I hoped.” Vyse explained. “And I could have sworn that there was one trap that should have killed us. It was right after we fought Alfonso’s ‘pet’, it seemed like the ceiling lurched a little.”

“It was a drop ceiling. A deathtrap.” Centime explained, pulling out Aika’s multitool and handing it back to Vyse. “I’m glad to hear that my disrepairs worked out.” Vyse accepted the tool with a grin and a chuckle, and pocketed it. 

“I guess we owe you one.” 

“Get me home to my family in Horteka and we’ll call it even. Moons only knows what Hans has been doing to my poor ship in my absence.”

“Actually, Aika helped him a little bit with repairs...and gave him a list of instructions so he wouldn’t goof anything up.” Vyse glanced past Drachma and Fina and Isapa, further down the slope, before settling his eyes on Aika at the front. Something close to mixed pride and regret took hold there. “She’s something special.”

Centime nodded slowly, following his gaze. “I get the feeling that both of them are.” He wagered, and felt a slight bit of satisfaction when Vyse flinched a little. “Come on. We shouldn’t fall behind.” Centime stepped ahead of Vyse, picking up the pace.

“You still haven’t explained how you and my father served with the Valuan Armada.” Vyse reminded him, trailing behind.

“It’s a story that will keep until tonight.” Centime said. “Besides, I’ll need a few stiff glasses of loqua before I get started.”

 

***

 

_ Hortekan Outskirts, Ixa’taka _

_ Evening _

  
  


The celebration that was spurred on by the return of so many of their friends and family was one that the villagers of Horteka would have a difficult time ever beating out. Maybe when they finally drove the Valuans completely out of their homeland, they’d manage a bigger one. As for Centime, the moment that the  _ Little Jack _ had moored next to his old ship, he had been the first one off of the modified fishing boat, racing for his beloved Carol’s arms. As bonfires went up and music was played in tandem with wild dances, ‘The Tinker’ settled onto a blanket and caught up with all of his adopted children, while Carol refused to be anywhere else but right by his side. Food was eventually brought out for all to enjoy, and when the sun finally lowered, Centime took on the responsibility of putting their children to bed for the night. Carol was glad for the reprieve, but more importantly, his kids wouldn’t have been able to sleep without their recently returned father tucking them in.

The noise from the village was more muffled due to the  _ Iron Side _ being parked well clear of it, which was good, given how late it was, and how many little ones they needed to keep from waking up again. Centime and Carol had returned to their blanket next to the campfire away from the ship, cuddling while his oldest adopted son Hans smiled at the display and savored his loqua. He was old enough that Carol had finally agreed to Centime’s request to let him try the high-alcohol variety that Horteka made. 

“It’s...different.” Hans observed, finishing the glass off and setting it aside. “Though, I’m not sure why everyone makes such a big deal out of it.”

Centime chuckled a little, taking note of the redness in his son’s cheeks. “It grows on you. Enjoy the evening while you can. Tomorrow, you and I have a lot of work to do on this old ship.” Hans grinned in thanks, stood up with a slight wobble, and then took off for Horteka proper to celebrate some more.

The heavy footsteps of Drachma approached them from the village, and the towering form of the old man walked into the glow of the campfire with a small wooden cask of loqua hoisted over his mechanical shoulder. He nodded at them, and Centime waved back. “I thought you would be back at Horteka, celebrating.”

“I’m not one for celebrations.” Drachma explained gruffly, shifting his head a little to motion at the cask. “This’ll be enough for me. And the kids don’t need me playin’ grandpa.”

Centime chuckled at that. “You know, Drachma, I get the feeling that you care more than you like to let on.”

The old man’s face got redder, and then he snorted and kept on walking. Carol leaned into his side a little more before whispering, “He’s nothing but a giant teddy bear, I think.”

Centime brought his wife’s hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. “I think you’re right. But he doesn’t like to admit it, either.”

She hummed a bit and squeezed his hand again. “So, tell me. What did you think of Vyse and the girls?”

“Capable. Very capable. Although, given that Dyne’s his father, I shouldn’t be that surprised.” Centime looked up at the green moon hanging high in the night sky. “Aika’s a bit of a marvel, but she seemed...irritated. At Vyse, specifically. And the other girl, Fina? I’ve never seen anyone who dressed like she did. They said she was a Silvite. You ever hear of Silvites?”

“No, but then, you knew that.” Carol reminded him. “But the silver moon is in Mid-Ocean, right? So she must be from somewhere around there.”

“Not too far from Dyne’s stomping grounds.” Centime mused. “Did they have a fight recently?”

“Who?”

“Vyse and Aika? And maybe Fina, although she seemed to be trying to act as a buffer between them when I was with them in the Moonstone Mine.”

Carol thought about it, and then winced. “Oh, no.”

“You know something?” 

“That girl Aika, she’s in love with Vyse.”

“Oh? Then why is she suddenly giving him the cold shoulder? And why does he always look so apologetic?”

Carol breathed out slowly, and slumped her head against the side of his neck. “I told her to make her feelings a little more clear to him. He’s almost as helplessly obtuse in matters of the heart as you were, love.”

“Oh.” Centime’s face fell. “Oh, no. So she...and he…” 

Carol murmured down against his throat. “He must have refused her. Although...”

“For the life of me, I can’t understand why.” Centime complained. “Aika’s good in a fight, she’s got enough engineering sense to help our son Hans get his head put on right for engine repairs, and she’s rather pretty.”

“Hey, now!” 

Centime laughed and tilted his head to kiss the top of hers. “You can relax, dear. I’m a taken man. Taken by you.”

“And don’t you go forgetting it.” His wife mumbled, appeased. There was companionable silence for a bit before she spoke up again. “Fina isn’t a bad match for him either, though. Vyse is young and bold and full of confidence, but his edges could use smoothing. And she’s softspoken, but there’s a different kind of strength in her.”

“I still think he’s wasting his time on her. He should stay with Aika.”

“Ultimately, dear, it’s none of our business.” Carol pointed out.

“But it is theirs.” Centime said. “And I hope that, for their sake, and the sake of the world, they find a way to remain friends.” His heart sank a little as he dug through old memories. “Because not everyone does.”

Carol pulled away from him and examined him with a pained gaze. “They are not like you and the others you knew back then.”

“They’re close enough.” Centime resolved, and his memory traced back to a time when he and Dyne flew under a different banner altogether.

 

***

 

_ 69 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


The  _ Little Jack _ had quickly been loaded up and resupplied by the Hortekans, whose gratitude for the actions of their rescuers had led to a completely replenished larder with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables along with the local variety of dried sky sardis, and even a cask of partially fermented loqua that would keep for a few weeks before it went bad. More importantly, their moonstone fuel stores were now fully topped off.

While Aika and Fina worked with Drachma to get the  _ Little Jack _ ready to cast off, Vyse stayed down at the makeshift dock, bothering Centime one last time before they headed out. Of course, The Tinker had known this talk was coming. It was in fact, overdue.

“So, Isapa. Did he tell you what you needed to know to find Rixis?” Centime asked, weaving around the topic that he knew was eating at Vyse. 

“Directions hidden in vague terms and prophecy, but I’m pretty sure that they refer to landmarks. There’s a ‘golden man’ statue up on a cliff we passed by on our way to King Ixa’taka’s sanctuary, we just need to find the great bird. Both of them supposedly point towards Rixis, so if you take the two, draw lines out from them, then…”

“Where they cross, you’ll find the Gates of Rixis.” Centime finished, pleased with his deduction. “You’re one hell of an explorer, Vyse.”

“Heh. I’ve always wanted to see what’s out there. I’m just taking an unusual method of making it happen.” Vyse tapped his foot on the dock, and his smile dropped away. “Now. You have information I want, and there’s no better time for it.”

Centime sighed. “Very well. Yes. Your father and I served with the Valuan Armada. Of course, this was around 20 years ago. Shortly before the Valuan-Nasrian War. I was an engineer, and Dyne was a second lieutenant. That put him two steps below the captain on his ship, there wasn’t a Vice Admiral. There were others, of course, on different ships, but we were all young. We believed in what we were doing.”

“How could you believe that serving with  _ Valua  _ was a good idea?” Vyse asked flatly. “What the hell was my father thinking?”

“It was a different time, Vyse.” Centime cut him off gently. “Before the Emperor died, Teodora was...happier. More content. She had the Prince to take care of, and there was peace. But there were those within Valua who believed that the only means of securing peace and prosperity for the empire was further expansion. Expansion into the rest of Mid-Ocean, and beyond. It was an opinion we didn’t agree with. After her husband died, Teodora changed. I’ve always wondered if the strain of leading the empire was too much for her. Her heart became hard, and  _ Galcian _ of all people...Galcian became her trusted confidante within the Admiralty. Not Gregorio, who had been her husband’s closest friend and ally.”

“So Galcian...what? Changed her mind?”

“Hardened her heart, at the very least.” Centime shook his head sadly. “After that, Dyne, myself, and the others who found Valua’s new expansionist policies and brutal militarism unpalatable left. We mutinied, took over our ships, marooned the Valuan loyalists, and then formed the Blue Rogues. It wasn’t easy, there were friends that we had to leave behind...but our honor, our consciences demanded no less.”

Vyse stood there, slowly shaking his head, and Centime bit his lip. “Are you all right?”

“It’s...a lot to take in.” Vyse admitted weakly. “Does that mean that I’m Valuan? That Aika is?”

“No. It means you’re a Blue Rogue, son of Dyne.” Centime quickly corrected him. “The Blue Rogues are what Valua’s navy was  _ supposed _ to be. Before they got greedy, before they stopped caring.” He set a hand on Vyse’s shoulder. “Don’t feel ashamed of your father. Don’t feel guilty about your heritage. The best parts of what Valua once was, we took with us. Strength in the face of adversity. Mercy to the weak. Aid to the needy. Courage under fire.”

“Funny.” Vyse chuckled. “That sounds an awful lot like the Code of the Blue Rogues.” 

“As taught by your father, I take it.” Centime chuckled. “Let me let you in on a little secret, young Vyse; The Code is important, but it’s more of a basic guideline. We all add a little something more to it. As will you. Once you decide what being a Blue Rogue means to you.”

“What did it mean to you?” Vyse asked honestly.

Centime gestured his hands around him, and both he and Vyse watched as children, Ixa’takan and Mid-Ocean heritage alike, ran around and played with scattered laughter. 

“Giving those who didn’t have a family a chance at one. And for your father, it meant standing up to the worst of Valua’s aggression regardless of the risk.” Behind his glasses, Centime’s eyes beamed. “I hope I’m there to see it when you decide what being a Blue Rogue is to you. Because it’s going to be something special.”

“Why?”

“You were born a Blue Rogue, raised as one.” Centime prodded the boy in the chest. “Your generation, you and Aika and even my Hans, will show if our decision from 20 years ago was right. We tried to change Valua. You, though? You’re going to change the world.”

Vyse stepped back, laughed, and rubbed at the back of his head. “No pressure or anything, right?”

Centime grinned. “After everything else you’ve done so far, now you’re worried?”

“I’m cautious.” Vyse said. “Luck runs out eventually.”

“You didn’t make it this far on luck.” Centime said. “Blue Rogues Never Give Up. Remember that.”

“Hey, Vyse! Get a move on already, we’re wasting daylight!” Aika shouted from the deck of the  _ Little Jack. _ Vyse and Centime glanced up at her, and the older Blue Rogue shrugged. 

“You’d better not keep your girl waiting, Vyse.”

“She’s not my girl.” Vyse protested softly.

“Oh, but she is.” Centime rebuked him. Vyse snapped his eyes up to him in surprise, and Centime smiled. “No matter what happens, she really is.”

“VYSE!”

Caught gobsmacked, Vyse was slow to put himself back together. “I’m coming, geez Aika!” Vyse snapped back at her, groaning afterwards. “She’s in a mood today. But she’s right. We need to get out to the north end of Ixa’taka and find Rixis before the Valuans do.” He shook Centime’s hand. “Fair skies, captain.”

“And the same to you...Captain Vyse.” Centime reciprocated. There was another meaningful nod between them, and then Vyse went running up the dock, leaping onto the deck of the  _ Little Jack _ right as Aika finished pulling in the mooring lines. Carol came out and joined Centime, and the two waved as a ship holding the cause of freedom against oppression slowly shrank into the horizon. 

“Those three are going to be something special.” Carol wagered.

“I think you mean,  _ do _ something special.”

“Yes, that too.” Carol smiled, and didn’t say another word on the subject, regardless of how many looks Centime gave her. It passed quickly, though, as there was suddenly lots to do.

Horteka was alive again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, would you look at that? An actual, PLAUSIBLE explanation for the existence of the Blue Rogues? Be still my heart!


	13. The Ghosts of Rixis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fina confronts a piece of Silvite history she never knew, and the Blue Rogues are betrayed by the natives they set out to protect...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Thirteen: The Ghosts of Rixis**

* * *

  
  


_ The Gates of Rixis _

_ North Ixa’taka, Misty Mountains _

_ Rixis _

_ 70 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


As soon as Vyse had fitted the gold and cyan gemstones from the Golden Man and Great Bird Discoveries into the appropriate sockets of the gateway’s guardian headstones, the entire clearing started to shudder and shake. It didn’t unsettle Fina, because she knew what it was; the central totem rotating on a mechanism that had been sitting dormant for thousands of years in a high humidity environment filled with overgrowth, with absolutely no maintenance. It was a miracle the thing even turned at all after all this time, but the Green Civilization had known their lands well, and knew how to adapt their technology to suit it. A reliance on stone architecture, for one; metal rusted. Glass became brittle over time. But stone, carved with careful respect for the fault lines and treated with impermeability agents, was perfect for the lands under the green moon.

While Vyse took several steps back to get next to Aika and Drachma, the Silvite approached the still turning edifice, and she narrowed her eyes. Rusty at first, but...smoother now. Which was odd. If Rixis hadn’t been accessed in a long time, the turntable should have been squealing. It still made plenty of noise, but…

“Fina, get back! It might fall on you!” Vyse shouted out in warning, startling the Silvite and making her lose her train of thought. She scowled and shook her head, whirling about to face him. 

“If it hasn’t collapsed yet, it’s not going to.” She pointed out. Damn, and now she couldn’t remember what she’d been thinking about. It would probably come back to her later, when she was thinking about something else. Multitasking, after all, was something she’d learned females had more readily than the male gender, and her Silvite education in its complexity had taken that skill steps farther. So long as she wasn’t distracted, and unfortunately, Vyse was a particularly impressive distraction.

The central totem finished its rotation, and now a doorway shaped like an open mouth stood where the closed mouth had been before. On the other side, as Fina stepped closer to it, she could make out the beginnings of a long shaft built into the side of the mountain, and at her feet…

_ Moons, how I’ve missed this. _ She cracked a wide smile as an antigrav platform lift, ancient in manufacture, caught her attention. The bottom of it glowed a faint blue, one delicate glassteel resonator several iterations less complex than the ones she was used to spinning delicately beneath another carefully bolted into the stone platform. 

The others crept up behind her, and Aika tucked her chin onto Fina’s shoulder, nervously putting the blonde between herself and the strange mechanism. “What...what is that?” The redhead asked worriedly.

Fina laughed in spite of herself, her relief at seeing familiar, if still horribly outdated technology, grounding her in the midst of their wonder. “Antigrav lift. Don’t worry, it’s harmless. And remarkably well-preserved, but then the Green Civilization built things to last.” She nudged Aika off of her shoulder and stepped onto the platform. “It’s also our ride.” She said, turning around and facing them.

Aika seemed dubious about it, but Fina did her best to stay encouraging, and she finally got on. Vyse did as well, after tapping the toe of his boot against the platform as if half-expecting it to drop away underneath him.

“The Temple of Pyrynn didn’t have anything like this.” He muttered.

“Witchcraft.” Drachma spat on the ground before joining them on the platform. “I don’t trust it.”

Fina sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s not witchcraft. It’s just technology you don’t understand, Drachma. And you’ve seen actual magic before.  _ Used it. _ ”

“Still don’t trust this.” The old man grumbled, and Fina shook her head. A pair of glowing holographic lights appeared in front of them, a down arrow that was dimmed and an up arrow which glowed brighter. She tapped the up arrow, and the images disappeared.

The antigrav lift took them up the side of the mountain, with only a pale sliver of light from below illuminating them.

“I can’t see!” Aika cried out, grabbing Fina’s arm. She was close to panicking. 

“The interior lights didn’t survive.” Fina sighed, and conjured up a glowing white orb that got Aika to calm down. The smooth, damp-weathered walls of the mountain’s interior passed by them, the lift whisper-silent as it took them up high into the air. Beyond, what Fina knew, was the altitude of what the ships of Valua and anything in the Mid-Ocean were capable of reaching. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. The lift is working exactly as intended.”

“It’s so quiet.” Vyse said, almost reverent as his voice echoed in the long, hollow cylinder they were ascending through. “This is weird.”

“I’ve had to rewrite the definition of ‘weird’ for all the shenanigans you damned kids get me involved in.” Drachma grumbled. “You get used to it, boy.”

 

***

 

Fina had studied Rixis when she had been a little girl. She had seen the ‘City of Mists’ as it had been called in its glory, thanks to old photographs and video clips. A city built on the top of the mountains, above the clouds. Here, the air was thin and cold, and Aika shivered from the altitude. Or she was shivering because of what she’d claimed to see; a ghost. Some kind of spirit from a person who had lived, then died and refused to pass on. Fina had wanted to call her on it, but Aika was already too much of a wreck, still hurting from Vyse’s refusal. So Fina played along and kept her silence, mostly because she was reeling herself.

When the mists died down enough for them to see a little further, the rest of the ruins of Rixis had come into focus. It was all moon-blasted, torn apart. Tall stone buildings of two stories or more had been turned into rubble, with maybe three standing walls and the occasional ruined stairway. Enormous craters furrowed the ground, the walls were soot-stained from a hundred ancient fires that must have gone up in the wake of calamity. A calamity that had a name.

“The Rains of Destruction.” Vyse said aloud, solemn as they walked through ruins that were silent as a tomb. Ruins that  _ were _ a tomb. Cloth, bodies, bones were all gone, but Fina could still see the signs of where they had been. Pale outlines around darker scorched stone, rust-red stains that could have only been blood, never to disappear. Rixis was a city above the clouds, after all. There was no rain to wash it away.

“The Rains of Destruction destroyed everything.” Fina said with a cold numbness crawling through her body. “At lower altitudes, the forests grew back. Life found a way, it’s all covered up. But Rixis, they built above the clouds. They lived here above the rain, above fertile soil, using their technology to sustain life where it shouldn’t have been able to flourish. The damage here…” And she swallowed hard as they walked around the edge of another crater that had taken out an entire building, by the debris field blasted away from it. “...It stayed the same. Unchanging, for thousands of years.” Cupil shifted out of his wristband form and hovered up next to her, chirping worriedly before she stroked it under the chin.

“Are you going to be okay?” Vyse asked her, his concern apparent. “I...have you been here before?”

“No. But I studied it.” She said. Vyse didn’t seem convinced, and Fina could almost picture the questions building up in his head. She had to laugh. “Vyse, how  _ old _ do you think I am?”

“Well, not  _ that _ old!” The Blue Rogue sputtered, his face going red as he realized that he’d stumbled into a major ‘girl mistake.’ “I don’t think, I mean, but...you  _ know _ things. Things that we don’t.”

“Things that the rest of the world forgot. My people didn’t.” Fina explained. “And how many things about how the world is  _ now _ do you all have to teach me about?” She looked over to Aika, who was watching her as well. “Things that you were confused about at first, but now, just teach me as a matter of course? Without teasing me, or making fun of me?”

“Well, you’re our friend.” Vyse explained, a little stiffly. “Why wouldn’t we help you?”

Bless him. He said real things, weighted,  _ true _ things without ever considering them. She smiled even more, went over to his side, and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Thank you. So, yes, I’m going to be all right.” She pulled back away from him and looked to the closest crater, letting her smile fade. “But I’m allowed to mourn a little for what Rixis was, and what it is now. This place was supposed to be wonderful at the height of the Green Civilization. Full of people, and laughter, and observatories. They charted the stars from Rixis, and scientists came from all over the world to learn, to teach, to help. And it’s all gone now.”

 

She exhaled and looked over to Drachma, who pointedly grunted, said nothing, and kept on trudging through the ruins. Of course he didn’t care. What did a bunch of old, dead ruins mean to him, except more trouble, and maybe a payday?

Fina’s breath caught when she met Aika’s face, the redhead lingering at the back of the procession. Aika’s eyes were watering, and her lower lip was quivering. There was pain there...But something else.

Resignation, maybe. Aika wiped at her eyes, looked to Fina, and nodded once before following after Vyse and Drachma.  Fina hugged her arms around herself, as an unfamiliar twisting settled into her gut. Guilt?

But then the noises of her comrades began to get quieter as they drifted further ahead of her, and Fina shivered from the weight of the stillness around her. She took one last look around the section of ruins they were in, shook her head, and took off running after the others.

Maybe Aika had been right about there being  _ ghosts _ here.

 

***

 

There were other things besides ghosts, though. While the ruins were devoid of everything but the most hardy creatures and decaying totem-shaped sentries, there was one familiar and unwelcome presence which made itself known to them. Drachma hadn’t seen the figure before, but then, he hadn’t been present when they’d taken on the deadly trap-filled interior of the Temple of Pyrynn. As they scattered after Zivilyn Bane hurled out another sachet of explosive powder towards them, Fina scowled and thought that Drachma would have a tough time ever  _ not _ remembering the thief afterwards.

“What is  _ he _ doing here?!” Aika snapped, after the noise and smoke died down. “Didn’t we take him down in Pyrynn once already? What’s he doing  _ here _ ?!” Vyse only waited for the initial blast to clear before he charged back through the cracked doorway of the dilapidated two-story building, cutlasses drawn. Swords met long daggers with broad hilts, and Vyse snarled as his face drew in closer to the mask, goggles, and hood that the thief always wore. 

_ “Zivilyn Bane is everywhere there are riches to be found.”  _ The master thief hissed, his voice harsh and full of sibillance. He twisted oddly to throw off Vyse’s balance, then snapped out a dagger and scored a light gash across Vyse’s ribs, tearing the fabric of his favorite coat in the process. Thankfully, Aika was there in a flash to keep Zivilyn from pressing his advantage. 

“Guess that means we get to stop you a second time.” Vyse snapped, grimacing a little but not reaching for his injury. “But there’s something different from the last time we tangled.”

_ “And what is different from the last time you fought Zivilyn Bane, pirate?” _ The interloper hissed. He was blindsided by the long-distance punch that plowed into his arm and torso from Drachma, who’d faked going into the shadows and let the kids take the brunt of the attention. He started to come up to his feet when an enormous icicle shot up out of the dilapidated floor and nearly skewered him, courtesy of Fina lingering at the rear, conjuring up magic from the purple moon. The treasure hunter flailed back towards a broken wall close to the cliff drop-off, and Vyse finished the job with an angry shout and a sickle of moonstone energy, hurled off of his primary cutlass. The blow, more concussive than cutting, sent the thief flying off the edge and into the mists of oblivion.

“We have more help.” Vyse panted, pulling himself back up to standing and wincing as his wound finally spoke to him. He looked over to Drachma. “You all right, old man?”

“So that’s Zivilyn Bane.” Drachma grunted, moving to the treasure chest that they’d stumbled onto Bane getting ready to pilfer. “Piece of work, that one.” 

“Having a fourth person does help.” Fina pointed out, and went over to Vyse to examine his wound. Her fingers parted the gashed fabric and she hissed a little at the damage, calling on the green moon to impart a small healing glow to her fingers as she ran them over the small cut. “You got lucky. He could have injured you a lot worse.”

“If you can’t help getting hit, learn how to roll with the attack.” Vyse chuckled. “One of dad’s combat lessons.”

“Dyne uses  _ pistols _ for a reason, Vyse.” Aika pointed out, but her voice didn’t have its usual teasing tone, or her combative aggression. She just seemed tired to Fina’s ears. “Learning how to take a hit was always a  _ last desperate measure _ .” The redhead watched Fina heal Vyse’s wound, shook her head, and turned to the chest. A few seconds later, she came up with an ornate golden mask, encrusted with gems. “At least we know why Zivilyn Bane was here. This’ll sell for a lot.”

“Or, we could  _ give it back _ to the Ixa’takans.” Fina suggested. “Seeing as it is a part of their cultural heritage.”

“They might give us a decent reward for it.” Vyse said, a half a heartbeat later. “And I’d feel a little bit better afterwards, as opposed to selling it to the sailor’s guild.” Fina stepped back away from him and smiled warmly at his thinly veiled charity, and started to turn back around.

She froze as her gaze skipped into the distance, deeper into the ruins of Rixis. For a moment, it looked like there was a figure standing amidst the stones, watching them from afar.

Vyse grabbed her shoulder, and shook her gently, breaking her focus. “Fina? Are you all right?”

“I thought I saw…” Fina said, turning to look again and cutting herself off when she saw nothing but empty stone and mists.

“What did you see?” Vyse asked her. Fina looked over to Aika, and the redhead seemed confused for a bit.

“I think Aika was right.” The Silvite said slowly. “There’s something else here. I thought I saw someone watching us.” Vyse’s oldest friend perked up at that and shivered a bit. Vyse didn’t look entirely convinced, and Drachma was as hard to read as ever, but Fina knew that Aika at least believed her. For a little bit anyways, but then the light faded from Aika’s eyes and she pocketed the golden mask, trudging past them all.

“Come on. Let’s see if we can’t catch up to our spook.” The redhead said. Vyse and Drachma were quick to stay on her trail.

Fina was slower to do so.

 

***

 

One final anti-grav platform lift, one of a working pair, had taken them up even higher. Fina’s knowledge of Rixis wasn’t thorough, it wasn’t like her people had the original blueprints and designs to rely on, but they had been chasing their ‘ghost’ through a maze at a lower level, splitting up to cut off its retreat until it was finally forced to flee to what they thought was a dead end...at least, up until it had stood on the first of the lifts and soared up into the sky.

Between that and the sound of its footsteps, Fina had confirmed one fact, at least. They weren’t dealing with a departed spirit. No, this was a person.

There was someone living in Rixis, and who knew its layout very well.

 

The lift that  _ they _ had used came up and actually  _ cleared _ the low-hanging mists and clouds that were constantly fed by the rainforest. For the first time since they’d wandered into the ruins of the Green Civilization’s former capital, they could see the sun, watch the clouds roll below them…

Even wheeze a little bit because of the altitude’s thinner air. 

“Where is he?” Drachma snarled, hopping off of the lift and reasserting himself on solid ground. “Where’s that little  _ pissant _ what’s been giving us the spook treatment?!”

Vyse had his swords drawn, and was breathing slowly and shallowly. “Hard to say.” He got out. “Moons, just...how high up are we?”

“Higher than...I think we’ve ever flown before.” Aika qualified, and reached into her pouch to dig out a pressure gauge. She flinched at the reading. “Moonstone engines...can’t operate at this altitude.” 

“So...only one way back down.” Vyse put it together, glancing at the other lift floating beside theirs. “And our ‘spirit’ is up here somewhere.”

Fina’s eyes were drawn to the only structure of note on the clifftop, a square stone pyramid whose interior was hidden by the height of the steps leading up to it. Unlike the rest of Rixis, though, it seemed relatively untouched.

Like it had been built  _ after _ the Rains of Destruction had come.

With nowhere else to go, they went up the stairs with slow and steady steps to conserve their air. On reaching the top, though, they came to a dead stop. Or rather, Fina came to a dead stop and the rest found themselves staring in wonder at a mural with a very familiar figure.

Familiar in that it wore the same Silvite veil and ceremonial garb that  _ she _ wore.

 

“Fina,” Aika said with remarkable calm, “Why is there a person who looks like you on the wall?”

“I don’t know.” Fina replied, and it took her a moment to catch that there was fear in her voice. But then a horrible screech tore through the thin air, and they all whirled about just in time to see a terrifying bird three times the size of Drachma diving down on them.

They flung themselves to the ground, just avoiding its outstretched talons, but then the thing veered up and began to circle up and around them, too high to be reached by their weapons.

“What the hell is that?!” Aika shrieked, and threw her boomerang in a wide arc at it. The bird merely beat its wings and veered off enough to make the boomerang miss, then spun around and buffeted them with a blast of wind from its powerful wings...followed immediately after by a hail of razor-sharp feathers, as deadly as any storm of arrows.

“Cover!” Vyse shouted, and they all did their best to get behind something before they were pincushioned. Fina stumbled, but Cupil, ever-loyal Cupil manifested off of her wrist and took the form of a circular shield in front of her, absorbing the physical blows of half a dozen razor feathers that would have harmed her severely.

“What are they...feeding these things?!” Vyse hissed, getting back on his feet and staring at the bird, still hovering with impunity well clear of their attacks. Most of them, anyhow. The thing squawked in pain as an explosion of Pyres magic went off right next to it, the flash of fire and the concussion both rattling its feathers. Drachma kept his arm pointed up, and his scowl was on full blast. 

“Less talk, more shooting!” The old man ordered, and they all quickly took the cue, conjuring up their own matching blasts. The enormous bird, its head perched off of a long neck, squawked in protest as one Pyres explosion knocked it into a stronger Pyrum thrown by Aika and Fina. The blasts  _ did _ seem to be having an effect on it, but not enough. Not quickly enough. The thing finally had enough and screamed again, then came down after them in another dive. They dove for cover, but Fina realized too late that it didn’t have a direct attack planned. Instead, the thing pulled up short and then  _ screamed _ at them all in an entirely different way. A way that wasn’t just noise, but  _ resonance _ from within the complex baffles of its lungs and along its extended throat. 

A throat that, while ugly from an aerodynamic perspective, did apparently serve a purpose. It was deafening in a way that made Fina’s head spin and sent her thoughts reeling…

At least until the enchantments woven into her veiled headdress glimmered to life, and negated the mind-altering effect. 

_Which is more important to protect? The body? The mind? Or the soul?_ An old lesson from her childhood, spoken in a rusty and digitized voice sprang to the forefront. _The_ _soul_ was forever the Silvite answer she had been taught, and their magics reflected that.

But Fina, whose talents in magic were also forever tied to the  _ mind _ , had disagreed in silence. So she had trained both, to her tutor’s displeasure. It was unseemly for a Silvite priestess, as they had wanted her to be, to spend so much time focusing on the more warlike magics of the other Civilizations. That was what the First was for, what he had trained for. It was what was expected. She trained as a priestess, but in secret? She had learned the art of enchantments, just enough to alter her own headdress.

Just enough to protect her mind, the most precious thing she had. The soul was worthy to protect, but the mind...She needed that to even have a  _ hope _ of protecting either of the others. A minor, miniscule bit of resistance to the planned course of her life, something none of the Elders had ever known about.

It was what saved her. She lurched to her feet in time to see another salvo of feathers raining down on them, and she dodged behind a pillar. Too late, she realized that her friends, still writhing under the confusion of the bird’s unorthodox attack, had not been so lucky. Now they bled from countless small slices and nicks that had gashed limbs and burrowed into the underarmor they all favored. Only Fina, by virtue of her act of rebellion, was free to make a move. And she was angry enough to do so.

“Cupil. Shield.” She snapped, and her engineered pet and companion leapt out in front of her, assuming the shape of a round disc again. Cupil wiggled every so often, adjusting his angle to block the errant inbound projectile when the long-necked bird tried to take a potshot at her.

It just made her angrier.

 

“You have no idea who you’re up against.” Fina said, using the time Cupil was giving her to focus her spirit energy for what she planned to do. The bird gleamed with the glow of the green moon; life, abundant, ever flourishing, wild. A creature whose bounty and blessing was tied into its physical strength, its resilience, an unbending body.

But a thing that could not bend…

Could  _ break _ . 

 

She reached to the heavens, hand raised to the green moon, and through it, the other five that hovered in orbit above Arcadia. She called on their strength as a priestess of the silver moon, called for the power to petrify her enemies.

Perhaps the bird could sense what was coming. In a panic, it rumbled along its throat and shrieked down another blistering mass of confusing noise. But it was not enough, not now. 

Against Fina, not ever. 

The air around her seemed to darken slightly, and she found herself illuminated by the glow of a single moonbeam. She gathered that light into her hands, changed it into an ominous black and silver aura, and hurled it towards the massive bird. It screamed under the new attack, but Fina’s wager was proven correct. The thing froze up even as it turned and beat its wings to flee, and slowly and steadily, the color drained out of it. The thing ossified in seconds. With no wings beating to sustain its lift, the statue succumbed to gravity and fell back towards the ground. It hit the edge of the steps that had been beneath it and crumbled into loose pieces and a cloud of dust. Fina quickly turned her attention to her friends, dosing each of them with a Curia spell to eliminate the lingering traces of the mind-paralyzing confusion they had been hit with.

“Moons, let’s not ever do that again.” Aika groaned, rubbing at her forehead. She was thinking clearly again, but there was nothing for the headache but time and rest. She looked ready to say something else, but she went still when she caught sight of the remains of the fell beast. “Fina? Did you do that?”

“I was defending my friends.” Fina told her resolutely, offering the redhead a hand to pull her back up. “Now come on. We have a Moon Crystal to find...and I have questions.”

***

 

The answers to Fina’s questions were more troubling than the questions themselves. She left the search for the Moon Crystal to Vyse and Drachma, while she read the weathered script etched into the stone edifice.

“It’s ancient Silvian.” She said, dizzy on the truth of it. “Roughly translated... _ We, who have come from the temple of the Silver Moon have sealed within the forests after the Rains of Destruction washed away the lands, the unsleeping giant Grendel...And upon his sealing, the Green Crystal was kept within these walls.” _

“Wait. So...your people were here?”

“I didn’t know they were.” Fina told Aika. “There was nothing in the histories I studied that said that my ancestors did anything after the Rains of Destruction but sequester themselves and leave the rest of Arcadia to its fate.” And wasn’t  _ that _ an entirely different can of worms? There were Silvites here. Of  _ course _ there would be. Who else would have had the ability to quell a Gigas when even the Moon-sent Rains of Destruction, a divine judgment against the hubris and greed of the ancient world, had failed in destroying them? And Grendel, for she  _ had _ studied all of the Gigas prior to her mission, was one of the most erratic and uncontrollable of the mythical engineered war-beasts. But why was their mission of mercy not recorded? 

Why was she as surprised learning about it now as all of her Arcadian friends were?

“But that person in the middle there, that  _ has _ to be a Silvite, Fina. It looks just like your outfit!”

“In the rough details.” Fina sighed. “It’s a priestess vestment, though, that is clear enough.” She brought a hand up and touched her veil. “All the other civilizations were  _ destroyed _ . My people’s survived only because we retreated away from Arcadia before the Rains of Destruction fell. That was what spared us from the Moons’ divine judgment.” But now something was picking at the back of her brain. Something about all of this, about their time in Ixa’taka…

“Your people saved them.” Aika pointed out. “From the green Gigas?”

“Grendel.” Fina couldn’t help the shiver, and she lost what she had been thinking about. “One of the worst of the Gigas, but like Recumen, it was bound to the land. After the Rains came, they would have lost control of it. It would have rampaged and ruined and slaughtered until the Silver Temple priestesses finally showed up to neutralize it.”

“It explains why they were so shocked to see you when we got here.” Aika said, with a lilt in her voice like she’d finally hit on an explanation. “They asked if you were  _ Quetya _ when we got here.”

And then Fina finally realized what had been dancing in the back of her mind for days. Quetya wasn’t a word in Silvian, modern or ancient. But it  _ was _ a word from the language of the Green Civilization, prior to the rains. 

It meant  _ Silver Angel. _

 

The short, barking laugh Fina let out made Aika jump a little bit, and the Silvite couldn’t help but shake her head. “I suppose, to them, my people would have been  _ Quetya _ .” 

 

“We’ve got a problem.” Vyse said, speaking up loudly as he and Drachma ambled over to the girls. “We found a recess where the Green Moon Crystal should have been placed, but it wasn’t there.”

“Recently disturbed, though.” Drachma added. “Dust patterns around it says it was there for a long time until...maybe a week at most, ago.”

Fina frowned at the news, and then groaned aloud. In the chaos of Quetya, the discovery that her people rendered assistance to the Green Civilization’s survivors after the Rains  _ and didn’t keep a record of it _ , and fighting off a gigantic bird capable of confusing her friends, she’d temporarily forgotten something very crucial. She looked over her shoulder, staring down the steps towards the platform. Platforms. Both were still there.

And a figure, hiding in the ruins closer to the steps, was bolting right for them.

“Vyse!” She shouted, and the Blue Rogue leapt into action. The ‘ghost’ took the steps, Vyse slid down the bannister and caught up to him at the bottom, leaping onto the figure in a tackle that stopped the fellow’s escape. When the others joined Vyse and the captured ghost at the bottom, the truth of it became all too apparent.

Not a ghost. A priest, going by his ceremonial robes and his totem mask, and the staff he was carrying.

“Where’s the Green Moon Crystal?” Vyse demanded, shaking the man. “Damn you, where did you take it?!”

“To...to the king.” The priest got out in a strangled, winded voice. “Isapa...Isapa told him of the Moon Crystal. He will...summon the Gigas of legend. The Gigas will drive out the invaders.”

“All this time?!” Aika screamed, as red in the face as her hair was. She was good and pissed, but so was Fina. For a different reason. “All this time, you bastards  _ knew _ where Rixis was? You  _ knew _ how to get into it?! You  _ knew _ where the Green Moon Crystal was, and you  _ lied to us about it _ ?!”

“We have suffered under the Valuan invaders for years!” The priest protested, whimpering as Drachma leveled his mechanical arm down on the fellow like anyone else would point a gun or an offensive spell. “Isapa learned of the truth of the legends and guided us here, but only  _ he _ knew the incantation to awaken the great giant of the forest! When he was taken, our hope was lost...”

“Until we showed up.” Vyse said, catching on to the reality of their arrival in Ixa’taka. The reality of how they had been  _ used _ to give the natives a chance at vengeance. “Then we freed Isapa, and he sent us on this...this  _ wild goose chase _ while…”

 

And then the cliff, the lands around it, the  _ entire continent _ began to shake violently. Fina and the others turned around and looked out to the south, where the clouds themselves were swirling around a blinding beam of green light that shot up into the heavens.

Fina’s blood went cold. “No. Moons,  **_no_ ** .” And then that light died down, and a gargantuan , forest green misshapen figure of a man, twisted and bent with a hollow torso and a head like an automaton’s rose up in that light pillar’s fading place. 

Grendel. And Fina lost her unflappable composure at last. 

 

“You  _ idiots! _ ” She heard her voice break over the distant roar of the Gigas, saw every heard turn back towards her in shock. At a different time, in a different place, she would have been ashamed of it. But here, in this moment? She had nothing but endless fury, disappointment, and rage for their shortsightedness.

“Grendel  _ survived _ the Rains of Destruction!” Fina howled at the still supine priest, who now scooted back away from her as she marched on him. “Your  _ ancestors _ were left in the smouldering ruins of their empire, a rainforest  _ cratered _ by the Moons’ divine judgment, and Grendel  _ lived _ ! He lived, and he rampaged, and he  _ slaughtered them _ ! By the time my people, your precious  _ Quetya _ realized what had happened and came to put him back to sleep, there was  _ nothing left! _ There was almost  _ nobody left alive _ who remembered what had been before! Didn’t you ever wonder why your people live in huts, with only bare  _ scraps _ of the technology that the rest of Arcadia takes for granted?”

“We live simple lives! We live in tune with the natural world!”

Fina’s arm jerked towards the ruins of Rixis around them, beneath them. “So did they! But Grendel was a  _ mistake! _ All of the Gigas were! In their haste to gain parity with the other Civilizations, your ancestors forgot what the source of their magic was...Life! Raw, endless, ever-expanding and  _ wild _ life! You can’t  _ control _ life, it grows wherever it can, and it refuses to bend to any laws or restrictions but its own. The moment they activated Grendel, they were doomed. It was never a guardian, it was a  _ raging child _ in the body of a giant in a form that brought nothing but  **pain** !”

Then Grendel screamed, mindless, full of pain and unintelligible rage. And the priest lying on the ground seemed to finally get it. The man shivered.

“We...we didn’t  _ know _ .” The man croaked out. “Moons help us, we didn’t  _ know _ .”

Fina wiped away her angry tears and looked to Vyse, whose face was firmed into a grim line. To Aika, who had pushed away her hurt and her doubt because there were people in trouble and that’s what Blue Rogues did. To Drachma, who never said a word that wasn’t a complaint, but stayed regardless, the protective grandfather that none of them had ever had, stayed because they wouldn’t have been able to do half of the things they did without his support.

 

“Come on.” Fina urged the others, Cupil moving to wrap back around her wrist as she stormed for the anti-grav lifts. “We have a monster to put down before it turns all of Ixa’taka into a field of ash and cinders.” And in the distance, the monster called Grendel screamed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first time playing through this game, I was super-duper pissed at the Ixa'takans for lying to the heroes and unleashing Grendel to fight off the Valuans. 12 years and a few more run-throughs later...I understand the perspective of Isapa and King Ixa'taka in refusing to place their fate and survival into the hands of a group of well-meaning kids.  
> It doesn't make it any less tragic, or make me any less disappointed in them. And in humanity in general, for always making the same mistake in their cold political calculus.


	14. Things You Just Can't Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which aching hearts finally crack wide open, and the truth is finally brought into the open...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Fourteen: Things You Just Can’t Hide**

* * *

  
  


_Northern Ixa’takan Airspace_

_72 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape_

  


There were always things to do, but a lack of energy tended to slow down everything. Stopping Grendel had been…Moons, even the Red Gigas Recumen had been easier than what they’d gone through. There was no _killing_ Grendel. Hearing Fina declare that even the mythical _Rains of Destruction_ hadn’t been able to put the beast down had chilled his blood cold. By the time they left Rixis, got to the _Little Jack_ and took to the air, Grendel had wrecked a fair chunk of the Valuan Armada in the green lands, true...But they’d gotten close enough to see De Loco’s flagship, _The Chameleon_ , unload a powerful energy beam that almost destroyed the small ship that the King had to have been on.

Fina had grown so pale after that, and it wasn’t until last night that he’d gotten out the reason _why_ from her. De Loco had fired some prototype of a ‘Moonstone Cannon’, a technology that Fina’s people possessed and that she had been sure was beyond the reach of the Empire. But even that powerful weapon hadn’t been enough to stop Grendel, who quickly began to rampage indiscriminately once the Green Moon Crystal’s control over it went silent.

They almost hadn’t survived. If they had been in any other ship aside from the _Little Jack_ , a speedy vessel that had been retrofitted to hunt the mother of all Arcwhales, they would have gone down in flames. And even _that_ miracle took Aika and Fina feeding Quika and Increm spells into the ship’s moonstone lines without reprieve. In the end, nothing they’d thrown at the green giant had worked. In the end, they had only been able to gash it with the Harpoon Cannon while it was clutching at its head beside a deep crevasse, and trap it in the ground so deeply and so tightly that it had been unable to pull itself back out again.

Silencing it with the Green Moon Crystal in hand had been the easy part after that, and they had _kept it_ afterwards. Isapa had protested, up until Fina _slapped_ the womanizing bastard.

The King, at least, had more sense than to argue with the people who had saved their lives from their own idiocy.

 

***

 

_The King’s Hideout_

_Mid-Morning_

  


“We owe you a great debt.” The king said, as they met in his lodge for the last time. The 20-something man bowed his head a little, clearly humbled after the debacle with Grendel. It mollified Vyse a little, as he was still seething. Both of the girls were glaring daggers at Isapa, who did his best to mask his discomfort under a nervous smile and a jolly laugh. “I had believed that what we did was in the best actions of my people, and my kingdom. But I see now I was wrong. The great giant Grendel should have never been awakened.”

“He won’t be waking up again.” Vyse said, gesturing to Aika, who tapped the octahedral lump of refined Moonstone Crystal in her satchel. Over her back was a brand new boomerang, its spine carved from a splinter of Grendel’s flesh that had embedded itself in the _Little Jack’s_ decking during the fight’s conclusion. “Without the Moon Crystal, he’s no different than a lump of misshapen stone.”

The king nodded gravely. “I am still somewhat reluctant to let you keep the Moon Crystal. Even if it is not used to unleash Grendel ever again, it is still a treasure of my people, and we have lost too much already.”

Fina took a step forward, pulling the attention of the room to her. Even Isapa’s smile went somber as he turned to regard her in a new, almost reverent light. Vyse resisted the urge to bite his lip. It seemed that rumors of her people being the ‘Quetya’ from their ancient myths had spread after the priest they encountered in Rixis had returned. “You _have_ lost much.” Fina agreed in a comforting voice. “But the Valuans came for this. They plan to use this Moon Crystal, and all the others scattered around Arcadia, to expand their empire and rule for a thousand years or more. Their ships have fled, for now, in the face of Grendel’s rampage, but so long as the Crystal remains in your lands, they will have a reason to return. If you are truly concerned for your _people_ and not just _objects_ , then you will let us take this.”

“And what will you do with it, young _Quetya_?” Isapa asked, joining the conversation.

“Take it, and all the others, somewhere that the Valuans will never be able to find them.” Fina promised. “To my people.”

The king nodded slowly at that. “Then that is what shall be.” He acknowledged, closing the subject. “I wish we could offer more assistance to you in regards to your ship. I understand that you took some damage.”

“Aye.” Drachma said. “But we’ve got contacts around here. There’s a Black Marketeer I know not far from your old palace, and there’s Centime and his lot back in Horteka if we need an extra set of hands. I don’t think that you’d be much help in patching up our battle wounds, and we’ve got plenty of moonstone fuel. Wouldn’t mind a bag of gold, though.”

The king smirked. “Our Moon Crystal is not reward enough? It _is_ the most valuable thing in my possession.”

Vyse blinked, and looked over to Aika, clearing his throat to get her attention. When she looked at him, Vyse motioned with his head towards her satchel, then to the king. She caught on quick, grinned, and started digging around in it.

“Then maybe, king, we could get a reward for finding a different treasure.” Aika said, and produced the golden mask they’d found in the Rixis ruins. And Vyse saw the young king’s eyes croggle.

“Is that...Isapa, that…”

“It is, my king.” Isapa answered, worn to shock. He took a step forward and accepted the mask with shaky hands, turning it over in his hands. “I have only ever heard of this in our oral legends...the great golden mask, worn by the king during the ceremony of the solar eclipse to beg the Moon to return the sun. But it was lost after the Rains...I had thought it lost forever.”

The king stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You found this in Rixis?”

“Had to fight off a treasure hunter for it.” Vyse confirmed. “Miserable bastard doesn’t know when to stay down.”

The king chuckled. “Then how about I reward you with _two_ bags of gold, for returning another treasure of Ixa’taka long thought lost?”

Vyse nodded, feeling triumphant as one of the king’s servants opened up a chest behind the throne and produced two heavy sacks from it, which Drachma accepted. “I wouldn’t turn it down.” The yawn after broke the solemnity, and he rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry. Didn’t get much sleep last night. Or the night before.”

Isapa blinked. “I might be able to help with that, young Vyse.” He motioned to one of the lesser priests, who cocked his head behind his mask in a questioning way. Only when Isapa scowled at him did the man scurry off to a backroom, and the sounds of objects being moved about became background noise. “Among our people, there is a plant which produces unique gourds. The seeds within them, when dried and roasted, are used to produce a unique brew we use in ceremonies to gain the strength of the gods.”

“Like Paranta Seeds?” Aika asked curiously.

“No, not quite. They do not bestow any _lasting_ effects. But the drink we make by running hot water over the grounds _can_ help us to stay awake through the long rituals and ceremonies we practice.” The other priest from the backroom returned with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder, and hoisted it off to Vyse as Isapa handed the mask to the king. “We call it _kafa._ And on behalf of the priests of the green lands, as thanks for the mask and apology for Grendel, I grant you and your friends special dispensation.”

“Well, thank you.” Vyse said, his nose stinging from the pungent smell of the beans within the sack. “But if this is so special, why didn’t Valua steal this as well?”

Isapa shrugged. “I believe that they considered it primitive and barbaric, beneath their refinement. I do not think you would carry the same prejudice as them in this regard.”

Drachma snorted once and turned for the door, money in hand. “Aye, he wouldn’t. Come on, kids. We’ve got a man to see about some spare ship parts.”

 

***

 

_Lorenzo’s Black Market Ship_

  


“It’s a nice change of pace that you all actually have _money_ to pay me with, instead of bartering with Discovery information.” Lorenzo praised them all. “Was a hell of a blowup the other day. The Valuans all pulled up stakes, turned tail, and _ran_. They didn’t even bother taking down the Iron Net, they just blew a hole clean through it and went as fast as they could. Not that I blame them; that massive green monster didn’t notice me, but if he had, there would have been shit-all I could have done about it.”

Drachma savored his glass of rum as they strolled around the ship and Aika put colored markers on the parts that they needed, leaving Vyse to do the talking.

“Not that we don’t also have Discovery information, though. So, will we be getting a discount or will you be paying us first before we hand the dough back to you?”

The Valuan black marketeer sniffed once. “Once your mechanic finishes tallying up all the parts and stores you’re taking with you, we’ll talk shop. In the meantime, what’s next for you all?”

“We’re headed north.” Vyse said. “Fina’s got a lead on...something to help us piss off the Valuans even more.”

“Most people would give up their right arm to keep from getting their attention, kid.” Lorenzo said to Vyse, chuckling loudly. He still smelled like a flophouse, and Vyse instinctively took a step back as his wheezing laugh passed between them. “You’re a different sort, though. Must be a Blue Rogue thing. But hey, more power to you, and anything that keeps them on their toes is fine in my book.” He tapped his moneypurse hanging off of his belt, right next to an old pistol. “I get more money that way. You must have found that bunch in Horteka, though, since you’re not hurting for moonstone fuel anymore.”

“We did. Your information panned out.” Vyse grinned at him. “So, what’s next for Lorenzo then? You going to stick around Ixa’taka for a while? The folks here could probably use the help picking themselves up again after the occupation.”

“Do I _look_ like a charity?” Lorenzo deadpanned. “Nah, soon as our business is done, I’m putting this bird in the air and headed for the North Ocean myself. There’ll actually be paying customers waiting for me, and I’ll have to head off Domingo and let him know that you’ve exhausted his opportunities here.” The black marketeer grinned. “It’ll drive him straight up the wall.”

“You could go and help out Centime before you take off, at least.” Vyse suggested. “He’s in need of ship parts too, and it wouldn’t do you any good to drag your inventory all the way back to Valuan airspace. At least, not when you couldn’t load it up with Ixa’takan goods for trade. Supply and demand, right?”

Lorenzo stared hard at the boy, then offered a single, short nod. “You’re going to be one hell of a pirate captain in short order, kid.”

“If we don’t all get killed first.” Drachma saluted him, raising his glass towards Lorenzo.

Lorenzo refilled their glasses, and the old salts clinked cups.

 

***

 

_Centime’s Campground_

_Hortekan Outskirts_

_72 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape_

_Evening_

  


“As often as you stop by, Vyse, I may have to start charging a docking fee.” Centime joked, as he, Hans, Vyse, and Aika all kept working hard on repairing the _Little Jack_ with the supplies they’d purchased from Lorenzo. “But repairs are free. Still, I am glad you had the parts for this. We’re a little short ourselves, and getting the _Iron Clad_ up and running is going to be hard enough without lending you anything.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” Vyse said, grunting as he clamped a section of worn piping down so Aika and Hans could work on sealing it to the next portion with gaskets and solder. “The black marketeer we bumped into, I think I’ve convinced him to stop by Horteka and sell off what’s left of his stock before he sails for the North Ocean.”

“We’re not exactly flush with gold, you know.” Hans pointed out, joining the conversation. “Not like you are, Mr. Vyse.”

“You’d be surprised.” Vyse replied wryly, managing not to laugh at the formality Hans still had. “Running a long-term resistance effort against the Valuan Empire does tend to lead to empty wallets. I’ve got it on good authority that he’s willing to barter any parts and supplies you might need for Ixa’takan trade goods.”

Centime and Hans looked at one another, and then Centime hummed thoughtfully. “Like Loqua, perhaps?”

“Some of the Garpa fruits that grow under the island could work.” Hans added.

“For that matter, this could be an opportunity to get the Hortekans to become more independent.” Centime went on, now well into a line of thinking. “If we could set it up so that they wouldn’t be taken advantage of, and if we could open up a good trade route...Although there’s still the problem of getting across the North Ocean. It’s Valuan territory, has been for a very long time. It’s no wonder that they moved on the Ixa’takans first; with only two ways of getting to the green lands, either through their backyard or across the Southern Ocean, and a population unable to put up a fight?”

Vyse laughed. “It sounds like you’re wanting to set yourself up as their defender, Centime.”

“I’d settle for being a teacher.” Centime said. “They don’t need a father, they need a friend, an ally. A mentor.”

“Then you’d better make sure that you get your ship up and running as soon as you can.” Vyse concluded. “Eventually, we’re going to need help in shutting them down.”

“Shutting them down?” Centime blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“If what you told me about yourself and...and my father...was accurate, you’ve been running a guerilla war against the Empire for 20 years.” Vyse said determinedly, and the rightness of the words burning in his heart kept him going. He believed in this enough to talk back to a man who might have been an uncle to him, had things been different. “It hasn’t worked. Chipping around the edges? It bought you time, but Valua kept on marching along. They invaded Ixa’taka. They _hurt_ these people. There is a _generation_ of children and young adults who don’t know anything but warfare and suffering.” Vyse jerked his head towards the door. “The Hortekans. The other Ixa’takans. Even Aika and myself; we were _born into this war._ You couldn’t finish it.”

He stepped back away from the pipe as Aika shuffled around to handle the soldering where he’d been standing. “So. We have to. And we will. The first step? Denying Valua the Moon Crystals. That’s our mission, not raiding supply convoys or hitting outposts or spying on ship movements.”

“We’ll do it, Vyse.” Aika said, coming up and looking at the solder through her goggles with a keen eye. “We’ve got two now. Three more, and Fina will be able to take them back to her people and hide them away.” She looked over to Hans. “Okay, cool that off and then let’s try a pressure test, make sure we don’t have a leak.” The redhead smiled as Hans got to work, spraying the weld down with water. “You’re a pretty decent mechanic, Hans.”

“Well, Centime _is_ my dad, and I’ve been paying attention to what you’ve been teaching me, Miss Aika.” Hans explained, blushing a little.

“We’d love for you to come with us, you know.” Vyse said to the boy a year younger than he was. “It might be a bit crowded for sleeping quarters, but we could use a reliable set of extra hands.”

“I...I’d love to.” Hans said, flashing a glance to Centime, who looked pained, but understanding. “But I can’t leave. Not yet. There’s still too many repairs here to do with the _Iron Clad_ , and...I’d like to stay and help dad out a little as well with the Ixa’takans first.”

“Well.” Vyse said, impressed with the boy’s motives. “It’s an open offer. I mean it. From one Blue Rogue’s son to another.” He held out his hand. “You’ll always have a place with me.”

Hans met his hand and shook it firmly. “It’ll be a while before you’re back this way, I’d imagine. By then? I may be ready to join you.” Hans and Vyse smiled at one another for a few seconds, and then the young mechanic turned back to his work. “Now, then. Let’s hurry on these repairs so you can be on your way. You’ve got places to be yet.”

 

***

 

_The Iron Net (Remains Of), Northern Ixa’taka_

_73 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape_

_Mid-Afternoon_

  


The air was thick with moisture and the hazy beginnings of rainclouds, but there was no mistaking the enormous ridgeline that served as the northern border for Ixa’taka, or the break that had once been covered up by an enormous Iron Net, stretched a mile across and five miles high from the ground to highest elevation that airships could reach. The peaks of the mountain ridge, shrouded by the mists, seemed to rise up to eternity.

The air still stank from the exhaust of an unimaginable amount of cannonfire, and the edges of the opening through them were blackened and scattered with bits of netting that had melted into the craters.

Vyse flexed his fingers on the wheel, able to see the damage clearly even inside of the wheelhouse. “The Valuan ships got out of here in a hurry.”

Fina was off-duty and Drachma was sleeping until it was his shift at the helm later tonight, so the only company he had in the wheelhouse was Aika. His first mate glanced up from the maps of the North Ocean that Drachma had dug up out of storage and blanched as she saw what had gotten his attention. “Woah. That’s...Grendel scared them off, all right. They didn’t even bother taking down the net the normal way. They just...blasted it down.”

“Considering I had a nightmare last night about that Gigas destroying us, I can’t say that I blame them.” Vyse grumbled. “Although I would have liked it if they’d stuck around long enough to get beaten up a little bit more first.”

“Less of them for us to fight later?” Aika guessed with a smirk. Vyse just smiled in return, and started the _Little Jack_ forward into the gap that would take them from the green lands, and closer to the ominous thundercloud-filled skies of Valua.

“I think we could manage with a little less fighting.” Vyse said, once the ship was inside of the long passage along the crevasse. “At least when it comes to the Gigas. Nothing ever good comes from us fighting them.”

“I’m not sure we _can_ fight them.” Aika admitted. She set the maps down and walked over to stand by the windows next to Vyse, and leaned against the reinforced glass. “I mean, we _nailed_ Recumen with the Harpoon Cannon and the thing just kept on coming. And Grendel barely...We almost…” Vyse looked over to her in concern, wincing as her eyes glazed over.

“Aika.” He said, jarring her out of the memory. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just...bad dreams.” she muttered, rubbing at her eyes. “I’m half tempted to try some of that _kafa_ that we got from Isapa. Though I’m a little bit wary.”

“Because of the smell, or because it came from Isapa?” Vyse asked, and got an honest laugh out of her.

“Honestly? A bit of both.” She said, watching as the canyon walls passed by them. They were flying at a slower speed to conserve fuel, and it was almost scenic. “How about you? Any bad dreams?”

Vyse locked his jaw as he heard Grendel’s roar pass through him, and shivered a bit when he looked to the new boomerang strapped to Aika’s back. Then he shook his head and let it drift away from him. “One or two. I forget about them, though.”

“Lucky you.” She mumbled. “I’m a little bit nervous about this next leg, though. We’re going to be in Valua’s _backyard_ , if what Drachma said about the North Ocean is true. And it probably is; his maps for the North Ocean are very accurate. At least for the parts closer to Valua. We’re going to be in uncharted territory for a while here.”

“There’s probably a reason for that.” Vyse wagered. He’d thought a lot about it for a while, actually. “Think about it. There was an _entire continent_ south of the skies that were uncontested Valuan airspace. They probably put up some kind of military blockade to keep out merchant vessels and curious travelers to make sure Ixa’taka stayed their dirty little secret. Then they put up their Iron Net to make _sure_ of it.” A gust of wind caught the side of the ship, and Vyse hitched the wheel a point over to compensate and keep it from drifting. “But that’s going to change now.”

Aika pulled away from the windows and thought about it. “Lorenzo.”

Vyse smiled. “Lorenzo. He got in before they put up the net, and they never caught him. And because he handles Discovery information...the Sailor’s Guild is going to know about Ixa’taka.”

“Which means everyone’s going to know about Ixa’taka.” Aika kept the logic running. “And what Valua’s been doing to the people here.”

“Yeah.” Vyse dragged the word out, and he tamped down on the flare of anger that he felt about it all. “And hopefully, they don’t decide to try and repeat their mistakes. I think that’s why Centime is staying here, more than anything else.”

“To protect the Valuans.” Aika said. “Code of the Blue Rogues.”

“We always help out those in need.” Vyse agreed. “But it’s more than that.”

“Huh?” Aika tilted her head a little. “What then?”

“He said he preferred to be a _mentor_.” Vyse said. “What do you think that means?”

Aika thought about that again. “I hate it when you do this.” She mumbled. “Answering a question with another question. You’re too much like your dad sometimes.”

“I never served under a Valuan flag.” Vyse growled out, instantly angry, and she took a step back away from him. He masked his face and sighed. “Sorry. It’s not...It’s something for me and my dad to figure out. Right now, I’m struggling with the dad I knew, and the Dyne that Centime told me about. You don’t deserve me taking it out on you.” Eyes on the sky ahead of them, Vyse coughed once. “Still. Think we could change the subject to something a little less sore?”

“What else would you want to talk about, Vyse?” Aika asked, folding her arms behind her back and kicking at the deck. He shivered a little at the soft tone she used, and when he looked at her, her eyes were down on the deck.

The conversation could steer so easily into dangerous territory. Neither of them had spoken at all about...Well. When she’d kissed him stupid and he almost…

 _Almost_ …

 

Vyse blinked. “Nothing.” He got out, in a rough whisper. “Nothing, I guess.”

The smile she put on after that shouldn’t have looked so _wrong_. It stung at him, and he didn’t know why. “I suppose not.” She went back to her maps, made a few marks based on their course and airspeed, and rolled them up again. “I’m headed to the lookout’s mast. If I see anything weird, I’ll signal you.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Aika.” He muttered, for lack of anything better to say. There was no pat on the shoulder, no Blue Rogue secret handshake, no flirtatious wink.

Something had broken in their relationship, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. He wanted to keep her as a friend, but more and more…

It seemed like they’d tumbled off of a mountain there was no climbing back on.

 

***

 

_The North Ocean_

_74 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape_

_Morning_

  


Sleep didn’t come easy, but he didn’t dream of Grendel again, at least. Still, when he dragged himself down to the galley and saw Fina working on breakfast, he was only half-awake.

“You look terrible.” The Silvite said as a greeting, setting a plate of cut up fruit and two fried eggs in front of him, along with a mug of low-alcoholic loqua. “Rough night?”

“I’ve had better.” Vyse mumbled, and started in on breakfast. Fina thankfully let him eat in silence, working on the meals for Drachma and Aika. When Vyse finished, he still didn’t feel at all functional. His lidded eyes drifted over to the sack of _kafa_ beans, left undisturbed on a shelf which had had a bit of extra room on it. Isapa had said that they could help keep the priests awake during sacred ceremonies.

 _What the hell_ , he said to himself, and lurched up to retrieve them. “Fina? Could you boil some water for me?”

“What for, Vyse? Did you want some oatmeal, or some tea?”

“Nah, just the water. Thanks.” He got down the bag, then reached for a mortar and pestle. Using a pocketknife to open one of the bag’s seams a little bit, he poured out a small amount of the _kafa_ beans into the mortar, set the bag aside, and got to work grinding them. The pungent aroma of the ground beans filled the room, and Fina inhaled a deep breath before whirling on him looking almost…

 _Predatory_.

 

“You need to grind more of those.” She _growled_ out, and a ripple of something passed from his head to his toes.

“I...what?” Vyse stammered faintly. Fina leaned in and sucked in a long, deep breath of air closer to the mortar and to his chest, then reached for the bag and dumped more _kafa_ beans into his bowl.

“Grind. More.” She repeated in a curt voice, and added more water to the teakettle.

She confused Vyse most days, but he knew better than to argue with her when she was using her _‘I am a powerful and terrible font of endless divine power and wisdom and you will listen to me when I am talking to you’_ voice. It had the effect of making him shiver as well as sit up a little straighter.

About five minutes later, the teakettle whistled and she pulled it off the heater, grabbing two large tea mugs as well.

“Tea filter.” She snapped, and Vyse raced to oblige her, getting down a hole-filled metal ball with a handle. She stared at it as he handed it to her and scowled. “Cheesecloth.” That he found after a bit of digging while she sat down and pulled the mortar over to her, examining his work. “We need a better grinder.” She said, more to herself than to him, and Cupil transformed into a pair of scissors that she used to cut a section of cheesecloth just large enough to fit the strainer. Once that was done, she used a spoon to ladle the grounds into the tea filter and then snapped it shut.

She poured hot water into the first mug, then unceremoniously dunked the tea ball into it. And waited.

Tea needed time to steep, so Vyse wasn’t too put off as she sat, tapping her foot on the floor and staring at the slowly darkening water. But when she hadn’t removed it in four minutes, according to the clock on the galley wall, he coughed to get her attention. “Fina, how long…”

“If we had a proper press, it wouldn’t be long at all.” She snapped back. “But this is your first cup of coffee, and the first one I’ve had since I left my home, so you will sit there, wait patiently, and let me make this as correctly as I possibly can with this horribly primitive equipment that’s _not designed for this task._ ”

“Ah.” He rubbed the back of his head. “So...coffee? But Isapa called it _kafa._ ”

“Language drift.” Fina waved off the question, and started muttering softly. “I should have remembered. Should have. Native plant to the Green Civilization. Of course it would survive the Rains of Destruction. Of _course_ it would. Didn’t catch it until I smelled it. Stupid. Stupid, _stupid_.”

She was talking to herself now, never a good sign. When Aika started acting like this, Vyse always started looking for the nearest exit for when something inevitably blew up. Considering that Fina could do about the same thing _with her mind_ when something got her dander up? He kept himself from running.

There wasn’t a safe place on board the _Little Jack_ if Fina went crazy. Besides. She was just making a drink.

Finally, she pulled the tea filter out of the steeped water, still steaming, and poured off half of the brimming mug into the other, sliding it over to him. He reached for it tentatively while she brought her own up to her face, closed her eyes, and breathed it in again. Then she took a drink, and let out a lusty sigh of appreciation that sent another ripple down his spine.

“Oh, _hello_. I missed you, old friend.” She smiled, her eyes still closed.

Vyse stared at the liquid in his own mug, not sure if he should drink it or stab it with a sword. “So...I Just...drink it.”

“You can add milk or sugar if you like. But your first sip? Take it straight.” She directed him, looking much more mellow than she had when he came in.

He took a sip and winced. “Ugh, that’s bitter.” She smiled at him as he set the mug down. “Why would you drink this?”

“Finish that mug off and then ask me that question again in ten minutes.” The Silvite said smugly, standing back up with a stretch before she grabbed her mug and went back to the stove, drinking her coffee the entire time. Vyse made another face, but did as she ordered him to, slugging it back quickly to not suffer the taste any longer than he had to.

Five minutes later, when Aika came trudging in, he wasn’t sleepy at all. In fact, he was brimming with energy.

“Well, aren’t you two chipper today.” Aika complained, yawning as she sat down.

Fina set another mug of coffee down in front of the girl along with her breakfast and patted the redhead’s arm. “Drink this, Aika. You’ll feel better in no time.”

Aika took a sip of the coffee without questioning it, and immediately winced and pulled back. “Ugh, that tastes awful!”

“Yeah, but it woke me up.” Vyse said with a snort. “It seems Fina’s been holding out on us. As soon as she smelled the beans Isapa gave us, she knew exactly what to do with them.”

“The name has changed, but they’re pretty much the same to the freeze dried grounds we used back home.” Fina explained. “I was...very happy to find out I could have more of them again. Apparently they’re used in sacred rituals now, but before the Rains, they were one of the Green Civilization’s major exports.”

“And they could be again.” Vyse realized, looking to Fina. “We might be sitting on a good thing, and right now, nobody else knows about it.”

“Then keep it that way for as long as you can.” Aika mumbled, taking another drink. It perked her up as quickly as it had Fina and Vyse. “Although it’s definitely an acquired taste. And you made this, Fina?” When the Silvite nodded, Aika smiled thinly. “So. A priestess _and_ a homemaker. No wonder…” She trailed off after that, and something in her slouched posture made Vyse flinch. Something was wrong, and he couldn’t place it. But it was definitely connected to what had happened the day before.

“Are you all right, Aika?” Fina asked, nearly as on the ball as Vyse was in reading Aika’s moods.

His most trusted companion, who had stayed by his side through the worst days of his life and the best as well, rocked back and forth a little on her chair a few times before finally nodding to herself.

“I’m fine. Just a lot to do today, is all. Mind’s...wandering.” She picked up her plate of food and the rest of her coffee, then gave the two a broad smile that never quite reached her eyes. “I’ve got a bunch of maintenance to do on the moonstone engine, so I’ll just eat downstairs.”

“But we always eat breakfast together.” Fina argued, sounding the worry that got choked in Vyse’s throat.

“Well, needs must.” Aika laughed weakly. “Besides, it’ll give you two a chance to catch up.” She gave them a nod, then turned around and walked out of the room.

Fina made a face and looked to Vyse, once she was gone and out of earshot. “Did something happen?” She asked him, and there was a coolness in her gaze that made him hold back the snap answer. The silence gave her enough room to add on to the sentence. “Because you two haven’t been yourselves since we left for the Moonstone Mines. You kept looking guilty, like you wanted to apologize for something. And Aika, she’s not ignoring you any more, but…”

The Silvite set her mug down, peering at him even harder. “What. _Happened_?”

“We...had a disagreement.” He finally said.

Fina kept staring, and he braced for the inevitable question of _‘about what?’_ But it never came. Instead, some of the ice in her blue eyes fell away, and then she picked up her mug for another sip. “You should apologize then.” She told him, and he knew it wasn’t a suggestion, but a command.

 

***

 

_74 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape_

_Evening_

  


The _Little Jack_ had made good time when they left Ixa’taka, as the engine that they’d taken from Admiral Belleza, no longer needing to fight against the Southern Ocean’s indomitable currents, made the ship _fly_ when the throttle was opened up. Now it was moored to a larger island in the wilderness of the North Ocean, and a few miles away over their heads, swirling lights danced in the sky as the crew, minus Drachma, sat out on the foredeck and worked at dinner.

Well, Vyse and Fina did. Aika’s was largely untouched, while she finished transcribing the three new Discoveries they’d stumbled across.

“The Tricyclone, the Roc’s Nest...and now, these Will o’ Wisps.” She hummed, pulling the quill back and blowing over the paper in the ship’s journal. She had left room for the drawings in small boxes, and handed it over to Fina, who summoned up Cupil for the task of making an imprint of what they’d seen. Among the creature’s many talents was an ability to become a makeshift rubber stamp, with eerie artistic accuracy. “Arcadia really is a strange place. The next Sailor’s Guild we hit is going to _love_ us.”

“What was it you said back in Ixa’taka, Vyse?” Fina went on, letting Cupil finish up the work of documenting their Discoveries. “Running a resistance leads to empty wallets?”

“Usually.” Vyse agreed, biting off another piece of roasted meat from his third skewer. They’d gotten a fair amount of seasonings from the Hortekans before they left, and it made a definite difference in their usual fare of skyfish caught while sailing about. “Did Drachma get anything to eat?”

“He came up for a little bit while you were marking our position on your maps.” Fina said. “Took a few skewers and headed back to his room.” She paused for a bit. “I got the feeling he wanted to be alone.”

“There’s probably some history here.” Vyse said. And how could there not be? Lorenzo, a black marketeer who knew ‘One-Armed Drachma’ from his time flying in the North Ocean? The much more accurate maps closer to the Valuan mainland than Vyse had ever seen before?

But if he’d learned one thing about Drachma in the two and a half months that they’d been flying together, it was that the old man didn’t like to talk about himself, and he could get _really_ bent out of shape if someone tried to force him into something. So he shrugged and reached for the low-alcoholic loqua. “But it’s his business. He’s still with us, he just likes his space.”

“Well, I can understand that.” Aika chuckled some. She finally reached for her own dinner and tore into it. “Remember how happy I was when I was old enough to move back into my parent’s house? It’s probably the same for him. The _Little Jack_ was his ship for who knows how long, he’d rigged it up so he was the only sailor needed to crew it. Then _we_ show up. He probably misses the quiet.”

It was actually a decent observation, and for a bit, she was smiling and looking at him like she used to. And then, like somebody snapped their fingers, Aika looked away and her face dimmed.

Vyse moved his eyes and found himself frozen to the spot, because Fina was staring at him again. Just like she had in the morning. The lump in his throat came back, because she had told him exactly what he needed to do, and he hadn’t yet.

_Blue Rogues never give up._

“Aika.” Vyse said, finally clearing his throat. “I need to talk to you.”

She snapped her head back up and stared at him like a Ferlith in the torchlights. It made him lean back away from her, because it was startling. Aika had never looked at him like that. She’d been angry, or playful, or vibrant. She would yell his head off, or punch him in the shoulder, or sidle in close and tease him. But that was a new one for her.

She was _afraid_ of him. Or afraid of what he was going to say. Both were miserable options.

 

Fina stood up and smoothed out her Silvite skirt, bowing to them. “In that case, I will leave you two be.” She smiled at them, and Vyse gave her a grateful nod. Aika looked like she wanted to grab Fina and hide behind her. But when Fina deftly glided away from her, there was nothing for it.

He sat and watched her as she shifted on the crate she’d been using as a seat, and waited until she didn’t look ready to bolt at the next sound.

“So.” Aika finally said, mustering a weak smile. “What did you want to talk about?”

“I’m sorry.” Vyse said, opening up with what she absolutely needed to hear. She tightened up on hearing it, and there was a moment when he thought she might bolt.

But she just collapsed afterwards, and the tension went with it. Most of the tension, anyways. “For what, Vyse?”

“For...for screwing up.” He admitted. And he had. “I should have handled it better. You didn’t deserve...what I did to you.”

“Oh.” She said, and looked away. “You’re talking about…”

“I like you.” Vyse said. “But...I can’t…” He struggled with the words, and she wilted even more under them.

“It’s okay, Vyse. I know.” Aika replied, finally looking up. She was smiling at him.

“...You know?” Vyse exclaimed, and couldn’t help blushing a little. He’d been so careful.

“Of course I do.” She said, nodding once. “How long have I known you? You don’t think I can see right through you?”

Now it was his turn to let the air out of his lungs. “So you understand.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants.” She lifted a hand up, waved it around a little bit, and let it drop back to her leg. “It’s all right.”

“It’s just easier, you know, if nothing changes.” He went on, rushing a bit. He had to get it all out. “With the mission. Stopping Valua, helping Fina get the Moon Crystals.”

“And then after, you’ll…”

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” Vyse said. He met her eyes. “You need to know that. Okay? I screwed up. There are feelings I have that...I just can’t act on. Because it isn’t fair.”

“To her.” Aika finished, in a soft, soft voice. She looked away again, and folded her hands together in her lap.

“Exactly.” He sighed. He’d finally said it, gotten it out there. It was a weight off of his shoulders. “And...I’ve missed being able to talk to you. Things have just been _wrong_ between us.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Are we still friends?”

Aika still didn’t look at him, but she did nod slowly. “Yes, Vyse. We’re still friends.”

“Good.” He got out. “Good.”

She finally stood up. “Tomorrow comes early. We’re anchored, the engine’s running fine, and whatever that coffee did to me this morning has finally worn off. I’m hitting the sack.”

“Okay. I’ll clean up out here. Night, Aika.” He smiled, but she still refused to look at him, and walked by with her head pointed down. It was a little disconcerting, but she’d told him that things were okay. That she was still his friend.

He dismissed the bits of unease still left in him, and cleaned up the remains of dinner with a more relaxed smile. Tomorrow was going to be better. Things were finally going to get back to normal.

 

***

 

_76 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape_

 

His name, as Drachma had explained, was Gordo The Round. He was listed on Valua’s bounty board, but he was different from other Black Pirates. Mainly, while his ship _had_ cannons, he never used them. Gordo, and his crew of chef-pirates, always flew alongside their targets for boarding actions.

After all, valuable foodstuffs and drinks could be ruined from ship warfare. It made him the most _unusual_ opponent that Vyse had ever gone up against. The crew in their toques, wielding cast iron skillets, only added to the absurdity.

Not that it made them any less dangerous; ten pounds of cold iron to the face would ruin anyone’s day, and they were a bitch to parry. They were more like a hammer than a proper sword the way that they chucked them around, and the best tactic for that was to _freaking dodge._

“Surrender now!” Gordo bellowed, pulling back a heavy chug from the bottle of firewater he was carrying around with him, then spewing it back out over an open flame to send flammable liquid across the foredeck, as well as Drachma and Fina. The Silvite shouted a word to Cupil, who transformed from sword to a broad but thin rectangular shape, blocking the burning liquid from touching either of them. Gordo coughed once, tears in his eyes from the exertion, and shook it off. “Honestly, this is just so wasteful. Just surrender, we’re not after your lives! Just your foodstores and whatever money you have. Be reasonable!”

“Reasonable stopped the minute you boarded this ship and declared war on us.” Vyse growled out, finally getting past the chef henchman’s defenses and grazing a sharp gash across his coat before punching the man square in the jaw with the pommel of his sword. Aika still had her hands busy with her own opponent, as did Drachma and Fina, but they all seemed reasonably able to handle the challenge. He needed to keep Gordo off of them.

Strangely enough, Gordo wasn’t completely useless in a fight. His weapon was as unique as those of his underlings, a long, reinforced barbecue fork with a thin moonstone core, but it would have hurt as much as any spear if he nailed Vyse with it. And he moved his bulk fairly well for someone fat enough to get the nickname of ‘The Round.’

“If you had been _reasonable_ , you would have _asked_ if we had any exotic foods to trade!” Vyse snarled, catching the fork by the tines with his off-hand cutlass and twisting it sharply, almost disarming the man. Instead, Gordo kept his grip on it and danced around with the pull, yanking the fork back and shaking his arm out. “But you didn’t, you’re just another stinking _Black Pirate_. And you made a mistake today, Gordo...you attacked Blue Rogues.” Gordo’s eyes went wide, and Vyse allowed himself a grim reaper’s smile as he finished charging spirit energy into his blades, and they blazed with blue fire. “You know how Blue Rogues feel about your kind.”

“Wuh...wait!” Gordo stammered, backpedaling, but Vyse was on him in a flash, blades slashing away in the flurry of blows that was his patented ‘Cutlass Fury’ attack. “Wait, please!” He put up his fork, tried to parry the blows, and managed three of them before the fourth, from an odd angle, severed the neck of the barbecue fork just above the handle. “Wait!” Gordo squeaked, and brought up his bottle of liquor to defend himself. It was shorn in half, the rest of the high proof alcohol splashing across the deck at his feet along with the glass while he was left holding the bottle’s neck. The next swipe tickled Gordo’s jacket and napkin, far too close to his neck for comfort, and Gordo slipped and fell against the deck, his exposed belly jiggling. Vyse was on him in second, one sword pinning his body down by the collar of his jacket, and the other raised high for the mortal strike, and then…

 _“I surrender!”_ The black pirate howled, holding his arms up to shield his face. And Vyse stopped his stab as the sounds of battle fell silent around them. Gordo shivered a bit and finally uncovered his eyes once he realized he wasn’t going to be run through, though Vyse kept up his glare.

“Tell your men to drop their frying pans.” Vyse growled out.

“Do as he says!” Gordo said in a high voice, and the sound of three heavy cast iron skillets hitting the deck made Vyse blink. Knowing Drachma, he’d make Vyse holystone the entire deck again to work out the dents. Vyse spared a glance behind him to make sure that they were well and truly subdued (Aika had the trio of henchmen under boomerang point while Drachma got out a length of rope and began to the process of tying them all up) before he finally pulled his swords away and stood back up to give Gordo some space.

The Black Pirate was still terribly pale, but he rolled over and lurched to his feet with a slow shake of his head. “Unbelievable.” He muttered. “Just our luck. We’ve been getting lazy off of Valuan merchant vessels and fishing boats out here. And I end up attacking a ship full of _Blue Rogues_?”

“Take it as a sign to quit while you’re behind.” Vyse told him sternly, stowing his blades.

“Seriously, what kind of pirates are you, anyways?” Aika snapped, pulling back once Drachma had Gordo’s men trussed up like a harvest roast.

“The odd kind.” Drachma spoke up, seeming more like himself now that the threat was dealt with. “Gordo’s been a right pain in the ass in these parts for years. O’ course, he usually just tied the hooks on and sent one sailor aboard to _inquire_ about foodstuffs.” The old man narrowed his one eye at the fat pirate. “He’s gotten a little livelier.”

“Why.” Vyse said, keeping his voice flat. He didn’t trust himself to not go after the guy a second time if Gordo twitched wrong, so trying to keep his voice calm was a must. “Why are you doing this?”

“I wish to experience the best cuisine from all over Arcadia. What better way to do that...and get around those pesky import and export fees...than to raid vessels sailing into Valuan skies, and relieve them of their wares?” Gordo declared sheepishly. “It was a sound theory, up until…”

“Until you met someone who could put up a proper challenge.” Vyse stared at him for a bit longer, then turned his eyes to Drachma. “You know him pretty well?”

“Well enough.” Drachma conceded.

“Has he ever killed anyone?”

“...Not to my knowledge.” The old man replied, after thinking about it for a time. “Roughed up some folks, but the bounty’s that high because of what he takes, not because o’ his methods of doing it.”

Vyse nodded once, then whirled on Gordo. “Here’s the deal I’m offering you. We turn you loose, you give up piracy. Full stop. Non-negotiable. The only reason I’m making you that offer is because your hands are, comparatively speaking, clean. I hear one word about you causing trouble and stealing stuff again, though, I’m coming back for you, and I’ll finish the job.” Gordo swallowed and nodded rapidly. “Good.”

“Rather agreeable terms.” Gordo said, mustering a shaky smile. “Still, I am loathe to discontinue my journey to gastronomic bliss.” At Vyse’s blank stare, he simplified it. “Better and more delicious food.”

“So? Open up a restaurant.” Aika cut in brusquely. “Hell, you can still be a _pirate_ about it, but asking people to _bring_ you new and exotic foods so you can buy it from them, cook it, and then sell it back to them at a higher price has got to be easier than racing out and doing boarding actions.”

Gordo blinked.

“You never thought of that before, did you?” Vyse uttered, his flat tone failing for one of utter exhaustion. Gordo smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Right. Well, in that case, the next time we check in at the Sailor’s Guild, I’m collecting the bounty for kicking your ass. And I _might_ use it to buy a meal off of you. Maybe.”

“Something to look forward to, I suppose. It would be good to meet you under more favorable circumstances, Mr…”

“Vyse, captain of the Blue Rogues.” Vyse gestured to his companions. “My first mate, Aika, our friend Fina, and owner of the ship you’re standing on, Drachma.”

Gordo nodded respectfully at each name, but froze up a bit when Drachma’s name was dropped. “Wait. Drachma? As in, One-Armed Drachma?”

Vyse’s eyes flitted back over to the old man, who drew himself up a little taller and looked to Gordo with flint in his eye. “Aye, that’s my nickname. And what of it?”

“Have you been in the North Ocean before?” Gordo went on. Drachma just nodded, and then Gordo exploded. “I knew it! I’ve heard of you before! You’re that sailor who’s been chasing after the arcwhale Rhaknam to avenge your son!”

Drachma had been surly and crusty and cautious before, but the mention of that made rage flare over his slowly purpling features. Aika and Fina gasped, and Vyse flinched a little as the old man roared and slammed his mechanical arm into the foremast before he raced to Gordo and picked up the fat fellow by the throat. He effortlessly held Gordo up in the air, snarling at him.

“I don’t know what stories you’ve been hearin’, _pirate_ , but you’ll be keeping them to yourself if you don’t want me throwin’ you off of my ship and into the abyss.” He pulled Gordo’s face down closer to his own. “We clear?”

“C..c..crystal.” Gordo stammered. Drachma dropped him on the foredeck and took exactly one step back.

“Take your men and get off my ship.” Gordo did so as quickly as he could manage, and then Drachma whirled about and glowered at the girls and Vyse. Vyse held off his imminent wrath by holding up a hand.

“Get back belowdecks and prepare to sail, sir?”

It was an unusual way of phrasing it, given that Drachma had been taking orders from Vyse during the entire crossing over the Southern Ocean and in Ixa’taka, but Vyse wasn’t willing to poke that bear at the moment.

Drachma had a _son_.

No. Drachma had _had_ a son.

Suddenly, Drachma’s obsession with Rhaknam made a hell of a lot more sense, and he knew that Aika would have pestered him to death about it, given half an opportunity. Fina too, probably, although she might be a little more tactful. Right now, Drachma wasn’t going to hear a damn word about it, from any of them.

He’d been ready to yell his head off at them, but those calm words, the question of an order that hadn’t even been given, cooled him off a bit. Drachma nodded once, growled, and turned to supervise Gordo and his pirates as they scampered for the safety of their own vessel.

Vyse went over to the girls, put a hand on each of their arms, and pulled them behind him.

“Come on.” He told them softly.

“But Vyse, he…” Aika started.

“Not now.” Vyse cut the redhead off, shaking his head.

 

***

 

_78 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape_

_North Ocean, Valuan Continental Coastline (Just off of the Lighthouse Ruins Discovery)_

_Evening_

  


The sailor’s journal that Vyse had been keeping was starting to get full; pages dedicated to the Giant’s Hammer, the Giant’s Throne, and the Lighthouse Ruins had whittled the blank space to less than a dozen free sheets of parchment. Fina sat close to him, enjoying a cup of tea as the sun faded away and left them with the constant dark and lightning-filled stormclouds that Valua was famous for. Their low rumble, far off in the distance, still carried to them.

They were parked on the edge of the enemy’s back porch, had avoided two checkpoints with heavily armed warships, and were sitting in the shadow of ruins from a time before the expansion of the Empire. Back before Valua even had an Emperor or Empress, and they’d only had a king.

“O’ course, that was a long time ago.” Drachma rumbled next to the campfire. He was the closest to the anchored _Little Jack_ , but tended the small blaze with practiced ease. “And no jokes about how old I am, boy, I’m in no mood for it. Even an old sailor like me can be bothered to pick up a _history book_ every now and then.”

Aika had mellowed out a great deal after the showdown with Gordo and his flunkies, and returned to what was her new baseline. She made conversation with all of them, smiled at the right times, did her duties without complaint.

But the fire he always had associated with her was... _missing._

 

Vyse watched her for a bit longer as she leaned forward over her legs, staring into the embers, then closed his journal and looked to Drachma. “So. You’ve flown these skies before, Drachma, you’re our best source for intelligence. How much trouble are we in here?”

“Depends on where you’re going.”

“The Maw of Tartas.” Fina said, speaking up after Drachma tilted his head at her. “There weren’t any records of my ancestors intervening in the Green Civilization with Grendel, not until we found that shrine above Rixis, but we _did_ have records of what the Silver Civilization did in the lands of the yellow moon. The Gigas was too powerful for them to subdue without the Yellow Moon Crystal, and the Yellow Civilization had _foolishly_ allowed the creature to gain possession of it. In the end, all they could do was place it in a kind of prison, lock it into the caverns deep beneath the surface...and seal it.” Fina drew in a deep breath. “I’m not certain how, but if we could find a way to get through the seal my ancestors put over the Maw’s entrance, we might be able to take back the Yellow Moon Crystal. And with luck, leave before that Valuans realize we’re there.”

“There’s a lot of wiggle room for things to go _wrong_ in that plan.” Drachma pointed out, a doleful and grumpy voice of caution and reason.

“Yes.” Vyse conceded. “But, no more than when we snuck into Valua to rescue my father and his crew and Fina. And we managed then. Refuge in audacity, right?”

“So. We sneak around like usual and hope that our luck holds out.” Aika summarized.

“Aye. Seems so.” Drachma drawled, and stood up from his perch. “I’ll be back in a bit. Need some more ale.” He grabbed his old tankard and plodded away for the ship’s gangplank, leaving Vyse, Fina, and Aika alone.

Vyse chuckled and watched him walk away. “He’s something else, our Drachma. I’m glad he’s here with us.”

“You’re glad he let us use his _ship_ , is what you mean.” Aika pointed out dryly. She got up as well and stretched. “I’m going to turn in, leave you two to it.”

The remark made Vyse frown, and while he’d let her slip away in the past, tonight, it chewed at him. “Aika, why don’t you stay for a while? Talk with us some more?”

Fina must have picked up on his concern, because she nodded her head. “I would welcome the opportunity to spend a little more time with you outside of ship’s duties, Aika.”

The redhead smiled again (And he shivered because it just looked _wrong_ ), then shook her head. “No, that’s okay. Tomorrow, maybe. Besides, I’d just be in the way.”

“Be in the way of what?” Vyse asked, confused. And Aika stopped walking. “Aika, what would you _be in the way of_ exactly?”

Her face twisted strangely after that. “You know what, Vyse.” She eked out, and it was like she was drowning in something.

“I really don’t.” He said, wondering just what had _happened_ to make her like this.

She turned, faced him squarely. Darkness glimmered in her brown eyes. “I’m your friend.” Aika said slowly.

“Yes.” Vyse agreed readily, latching onto that truth like a lifeline. “You’ve been my friend for forever. Since we were little.”

“And as your friend, you know I want what’s best for you.” Aika went on, barely waiting for him to finish. That realization made him panic a little bit more. Whatever she was building up to was something rehearsed. She’d been working on this for a while.

_For days._

“So. As your _friend_ , as someone who wants you to be happy, I’m making myself scarce. Okay?”

“But why?” Fina asked, just as lost as Vyse was, but clearly not as afraid of this moment. She hadn’t known Aika as long, she didn’t know how out of the norm this was. “You don’t need to leave, Aika. You’re our friend. You belong here with us. You don’t have to…”

“Princess? Shut. Up.” Aika snapped, and there at last, was the heat and fire under the thin veneer she had tried to erect. Her hands clenched and unclenched, and Vyse could have sworn the very air around them warmed up. All of her offensive spiritual powers were fire-based, and they were flexing right now. Not a good sign. “For once, just _once_ , drop the innocent act, say thank you, and let it be.”

“Aika, please, calm down…!” Vyse started out, but then she whirled on him, and in the light of the campfire, he could see tears forming in her eyes as she snarled at him.

“ _You_ want _me_ to calm down?! After everything we’ve been through, after you...after you took my heart, and...And _threw it in my face?!_ _And you want me to_ ** _calm down!?_** _”_ She shrieked at the end of it, not caring that it was loud enough for the Moons themselves to hear.

She gasped for air as Vyse stared at her in horror.

He choked on the words. “I...we talked about this. I told you…”

She laughed again, the heat gone out of her, and there was nothing left in her but pain, pain and hurt.

“It wouldn’t be fair to her. I know. I know, Vyse. I’m your friend, but Fina’s something more. I was trying to be supportive about it, you know? Like a _good friend_ would be.”

“Aika, that’s not…!” Fina started again, coming up to her feet, but Aika whirled on her, full of rage all over again.

“Princess, I swear to the _Moons_ I will _pull your hair out_ if you don’t shut up and let me get through this!” The redhead pressed her hands to her head, completely lost in the maelstrom of her mind, and Fina swallowed and kept silent. “Just...It’s how it is, all right? I offered myself to you, Vyse, and you didn’t want me. And I’m a big enough girl to accept it, okay? Because I’m not...I’m not like _she_ is. I’m not exotic, or delicate, and your mother never praised me like she praised Princess here. My hair’s always coarse, it gets split ends from the heat of the engine room, and my face is always smudged with grease and moonstone dust, and I’m not…”

She swallowed the last of the sentence, but Vyse heard it all the same.

_I’m not her._

 

“You love Fina. It’s okay. She’s a good match for you.” Aika smiled again, and this time it wasn’t fake. It showed every crack in her heart, but it was honest, because it said that _even though this is hurting me so much, I’m letting you be happy._ “So that’s why I’m leaving, all right? You win, Fina. I’m still his friend. I’m still yours. I’ll fight beside you, because I’m a Blue Rogue, and because we can’t let Valua win. But you two need time alone to...to be with each other. And to be honest, I can’t...I don’t want to watch it. It’s stupid, and petty, but I’m jealous and I’m hurt and it’s taking everything I have to not _cry my eyes out and curl up into a ball_. So let me have a little pride. Don’t make me watch you have what I can’t have.”

 

Oh. Vyse blinked. And blinked again. He’d gotten it wrong.

He’d gotten it so very wrong, and so had Aika. And Fina, in her own way, had gotten it wrong as well. Aika was rubbed raw, every tattered nerve of her had been exposed. And maybe it would be better to leave it at that. To just...move on. To let her work under that delusion.

But she was Aika, his brave, brave Aika, who had _just thrown herself_ into the fires for his sake, and for Fina’s. He was her oldest friend, her captain, her battlemate.

He was a captain, and a Captain of the Blue Rogues did not let his crew suffer. No. The pain was _his_ to bear. She sniffled, wiped at her eyes, and started for the ship’s gangplank. Vyse looked up, saw Drachma standing at the top with a fresh tankard of ale in his normal hand, and the eyebrow over his good eye raised high. The expression on the face was the same as always.

Because really, what did Drachma care about who loved who? What did he care about _anything_ that wasn’t Rhaknam, and his revenge quest for the death of a son he’d never bothered to tell them about?

Fina was crying now too, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Like she was searching for the words that could fix this, but nothing she could say _could_ fix this.

So Vyse did what he should have done weeks ago. What he should have done at the start, after they escaped Valua and started out. He ran ahead of Aika, stood in her path, and gripped her shoulders, holding her as she stammered and yelled at him with her raw voice.

“You’re wrong, Aika!” He yelled, needing to get over her volume. She needed to hear this, it couldn’t go on.

“Damn it, you stupid bastard, let me go! _Let me Go!_ ”

“No!” He shook her hard to get her attention. “Damnit, shut up and listen to me! I love you! Okay?! _I love you!_ ”

She did finally stop wriggling at that. She stared at him with those pain-filled brown eyes of hers, fresh tears down her face. “No, you don’t.” She said hoarsely. She’d been yelling for too long, and her natural resonance was just _gone_.

“I do.” He kept her at arm’s length, but he poured his need, the feelings he’d squared away for too long, into his voice. “I love you, Aika.”

“You can’t love me.” She choked out. “You love Fina.”

“Yes. I do love Fina.” Vyse agreed, because that was true as well. Aika slumped at that, until he shook her to make her look up again. “I love Fina. And I love you.”

Aika blinked wildly at that. “But...what?”

“I love both of you.” Vyse said, meeting Aika’s eyes for a few seconds more before he looked past his oldest friend to the blond girl they’d sailed off the map with, a girl who had her hands pressed to her mouth and was crying in turn.

Vyse shut his eyes after his confession, and felt the weight of a condemned man settle over his shoulders. “That’s the problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably all hate me now. And things will get better. Eventually. Just not right away.  
> Next chapter: The first, and only one, written from the perspective of Drachma...who is pretty much Fed Up with these Damn Kids.


	15. The Sailor, The Whale, and the Spear at Hell's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which numb loss claims them, Drachma tries not to care, and a lifetime's vendetta comes to an end in heartbreak and destruction...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Fifteen: The Sailor, The Whale, and the Spear at Hell’s Heart**

* * *

  
  


_ 78 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ North Ocean, Valuan Continental Coastline _

_ Evening _

  
  


They weren’t bad kids, Drachma had to admit. They were just  _ kids _ , technically adults as they’d passed their 16th year and were in their 17th now, but still  _ kids _ in his eyes. They brought constant headaches, and occasionally there was something interesting that happened which didn’t involve life-threatening danger. Traveling all over Arcadia, seeing strange new things, some of which were known and some that weren’t, was a unique experience. Being with them had  _ not _ been a part of his plans, or his routine, or his life, which up until they had stumbled into it, had been an alcohol-fueled vendetta quest. 

But mostly, they were Blue Rogues (And a tag-along with some kind of transforming pufferfish) and Blue Rogues  _ breathed _ trouble.

Not that he cared.

He had to admit, though, that the boy was changing after he rescued them from Recumen and Admiral Belleza. That night, Vyse had all but threatened to cut his balls off and leave him on a deserted island with just enough bread and water to go through the opening stages of  _ delirium tremens _ before shooting himself in the head. Drachma realized then that while he would never admit that he  _ cared _ about the kids, he would gladly admit, privately, to himself, in a dark room, that Vyse was turning into a decent man. And a better captain.

During the long voyage across the Southern Ocean, that thought was reaffirmed ten times over.

By the time they reached Ixa’taka, and found a crop of Blue Rogues and orphans already there and surprised to see them, Drachma had finally come to a realization: 

_ Blue Rogues didn’t start trouble, it just always found them. _

 

In so many ways, the three of them were unique and complementary. Vyse only ever lost his swagger and composure in the face of true brutality or when his crew or innocents were in peril. Aika was a hot-blooded spitfire through and through, and shared a bond with Vyse that only time and the fires of combat and mutual triumph could forge. And Fina, the girl that Vyse and Aika had risked certain capture and death to save from the heart of Valua’s power, was a living contrast, a blend of them both, a balancing presence. She only fought when she absolutely had to, commanded magics more powerful than even Aika, and when she got  _ mad _ , could pull off workings that would enervate her comrades or leave their enemies withering, depending on what felt more appropriate.

They were a good crew when they were in synch, in spite of the rough patches they’d had early on. But about the time they set out for the Moonstone Mountain to sneak in and retrieve a high priest who could lead them to Rixis for the Green Moon Crystal, something changed.

Something  _ broke _ . Aika went from bouncing between bright and ferocious and shifted straight into a quiet, sullen state that Drachma would have preferred from anyone else as chattery as she was. But on her, knowing her as well as he did? It just didn’t fit. Vyse kept looking like he wanted to apologize for something, and Fina, who had forever been at ease around the both of them, looked like she wasn’t sure what to do, or what to say to fix it, which was something else that was wrong.

Not that Drachma cared.

Drachma figured there was something screwy going on with the three of them, some kind of fight about who got to be with Vyse. He could see either of the girls going for him, and it looked like Aika had lost out. Given their history, it was a little understandable; she’d been his friend for a long time. Not every man was able to look past friendship to see the potential of something more. 

But...whatever was going on with them, it wasn’t his business. They were fighting with each other, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t affecting their performance as a team in the face of the Valuans or the monsters they stumbled across, so really, what did Drachma care?

He  _ didn’t _ care, he reminded himself as the constant ache in his shoulder joint where his artificial arm was slotted in got worse in the humidity. He hated clouds, and he hated the rain; pressure always made it hurt worse. 

The ache always got worse when he got close to Rhaknam.

 

They got out of the mines, they freed not only the high priest, but Centime the Blue Rogue, and a good many of the Ixa’takan slaves as well, and got clear of the mine before the Valuan patrols around it were any the wiser.

Rixis was a bloody mess, and then finding out that the Ixa’takans had played them for chumps and summoned up a monster that made  _ Recumen _ look like an innocent was aggravating as hell. Fina took it even harder than he had, but...given what she shared about her people, and what the script in the stone of the ancient shrine atop the cliff said, she had reason to be pissed off.

 

Through it all, the three kept on fighting. Kept on working. Aika seemed to be returning to her old self; perhaps a little more muted than usual, but she wasn’t ignoring Vyse, or glaring at him. So, there was that, at least.

Not that he cared. He  _ didn’t care _ .

 

Up until they got out of Ixa’taka, their course set for the North Ocean, and beyond it, Valua and what fina called the ‘Maw of Tartas’, where the Yellow Gigas slept...with the Yellow Moon Crystal kept close to it.

Vyse spared Gordo The Round. Gordo realized who Drachma was. 

Drachma wished that Vyse had just killed the fat bastard, because the last thing he wanted to be reminded of was why he was out here in the first place.

His shoulder ached, and he drank more than usual that night. And Vyse proved that he was fast growing into a decent man and a better captain, because he didn’t force the issue. Kept the girls from forcing it as well. Vyse left it up to Drachma to decide what he would share about his life, and what he wouldn’t. Vyse wasn’t a bad lad.

Not that he  _ cared _ .

 

Drachma kept on  _ not caring _ about the kids and their problems, up until the night that they finally reached the coastline of Valua and made camp in the shadow of an old, abandoned lighthouse. Then, while he was getting back aboard his ship to refill his ale, the kids started arguing. 

Well, mostly it was Aika finally losing it and flying off the rail, screaming about how she  _ got it _ , that Vyse  _ didn’t love her _ , that he  _ loved Fina _ , and that was  **_fine_ ** , but he needed to give her space because she couldn’t handle  _ watching _ Vyse and Fina getting cuddly together.

Drachma lingered aboard the  _ Little Jack _ at the rail beside the gangplank, watching with that mix of amusement and exhaustion and irritation that the three kids seemed to constantly inspire in him. She tried to storm off. Vyse grabbed her by the shoulders. They fought some more.

Then Vyse explained that he loved both of them. And that was the problem.

Drachma immediately took a long pull from his mug of ale, groaning inside of his head.

He didn’t care, he didn’t  _ care, he didn’t care… _

 

***

  
  


Vyse let go of Aika’s shoulders. She was shaking, Fina was crying, and Vyse, by the hunch of his shoulders, would have much preferred to claw off his own face than keep talking. But something kept the young man going, and Drachma knew what it was.

The burden of leadership. 

 

“I love the both of you. You are the two most important people in my life. But I can’t  _ choose _ .” Vyse pressed on, and every word came out rough and coarse. “If I picked you, and left Fina out in the cold, how would that be fair to her, when I  _ know _ how she feels?” Then he looked past Aika to Fina, and Drachma kept on drinking, watching from above. “And if I picked you, Fina, like Aika wants me to, how would that be fair to her?” Fina said nothing, and when Aika started to stammer, Vyse brought his hands back up and cupped her face, pulling it close to his own. Aika shivered, wide-eyed, and if not for the silence of their camp, Drachma might have missed the next line. “And don’t you dare tell me you’d be fine with it if I chose Fina and left you to pine over what you couldn’t have. You’re barely holding yourself together.”

He let go of her face, and she stumbled a little before she caught herself, the wind knocked out of her.

 

“This can’t...It can’t go on.” Vyse breathed, looking at the ground. “What I feel for you two...what you two feel for me, it...it would tear us apart. Slowly, but surely. Picking one of you means losing the other. And I can’t do that. I  _ won’t _ do that.” 

 

Drachma swallowed down another mouthful of ale. This was better than any book he’d ever read, any play he’d seen. Though he didn’t imagine the ending would be a happy one, for any of them. Least of all Vyse, which seemed to be what the Blue Rogue was aiming for.

He was putting his crew and the mission ahead of his own happiness. An admirable trait. Stupid, but admirable.

 

“So, what are you saying, Vyse?” Aika finally got out. She was still a mess, but she trusted her voice more than Fina did.

The boy had never looked so miserable as he did then, running a hand through his hair. 

“I’m saying...what we have now...is all we can have.” He concluded. “Three friends, taking a stand against Valua. If I were to try for anything more with  _ either of you _ , it’d be nothing but pain. For all of us.” 

Aika was finally crying herself, and Drachma exhaled and walked away from the foredeck, stepping into the wheelhouse. He waited in the shadows of it for about thirty seconds before the sound of Vyses’ footsteps made him tense up.

Vyse walked past him, a glaze over his face. Drachma spoke up right before he reached the stairs going down belowdecks. 

“You look like hell, boy.”

Vyse froze, his shoulders rose up. And then he sighed and slumped in on himself. He didn’t look back.

“Did I do the right thing, Drachma?” He asked, sounding particularly miserable.

“Ye’ll have to be more specific.” Drachma said. He wanted Vyse to tear the wound open enough to really scab over.

“Was I going to hurt them no matter what I did?”

“You fell in love with the both of them, boy.” Drachma grunted. “Did ye think it would be easy to walk away without breaking their hearts? Or your own?”

The young Blue Rogue, afforded the rank of Captain by his father after the raid on Valua’s capital, laughed a little and shook his head.

“No.” He admitted. “I was tearing my own heart out, no matter what happened. But I thought...Maybe they could…”

Drachma took another sip of ale, waiting. That was one thing that age, along with his former career as a fisherman, had afforded him; The strength of patience.

Vyse laughed again, sorrowfully. “I asked her if we were still friends. Moons. Aika must hate me now.”

Drachma sighed, lifted his mug to his lips and drained the rest in a single go. He walked over and clasped a hand to the boy’s shoulder. “You’ll all get over it. There’s time to patch things up. Now come on. Let’s get you a drink. A  _ decent _ drink.”

Vyse reacted, but he was still numb. “I don’t drink.”

“Tonight, ye do.” Drachma groused. “Or at least, ye’ll do it if you want a proper night’s sleep. You’re driving tomorrow, lad. And we need you, and them, alert for tomorrow.”

Vyse didn’t have enough heart to argue the point, and Drachma guided him down belowdecks with ease. He wasn’t the first sailor he’d nursed through heartbreak, after all.

Though, for most of the past fifteen years or so, the only sailor he’d been prescribing alcohol to had been himself.

 

***

 

_ Valuan Mainland _

_ 79 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Drachma was Valuan, by birth. That didn’t mean he considered the capital city home. Valua was a strange beast; there were enormous tracts of the mainland that were absolutely uninhabitable, ruined by pollution from runaway strip mining for the precious metals and moonstones that the land once provided. What arable farmland had once existed when Drachma had been a child was just blasted wasteland now; long, miserable stretches of terrain blasted by storms that the poor air quality had made worse, with the occasional open pit seeped with rusty water or a refinery spitting out smoke in the distance.

Vyse, naturally, was horrified at the sight. Drachma could understand why. Even the girls, who were still shaken and withdrawn themselves after the fight from the night before, looked out of the wheelhouse windows. Fina looked ready to cry all over again.

“I never imagined it could be this bad.” The Silvite whispered.

“Why?” Vyse demanded. “Why would the Valuans do this, to their  _ own country _ ? To their  _ own people? _ ” 

Drachma had long ago resigned himself to the realities of an empire spun so far out of control. But then, he had lived a long life, even if it hadn’t been a full one. What did he care about the environmental devastation brought on by the recklessness of the Empress and the Admiralty?

“Valua takes what she wants, boy.” He said in answer. “And the first people she trampled over were her own.”

The thunderclouds cracking above them gave weight to the sting of those words, and Drachma saw Vyse shiver a little. The old sailor chose to ignore it and stared out of the forward windows, frowning a little. “Something’s wrong.”

“What, Drachma?”

“It shouldn’t be this easy.” Drachma explained, feeling an itch at the base of his skull that didn’t go away when he scratched at it. “There should be more patrols. Even out here in the wastes.”

“Why would they patrol out here?” Aika asked, her eyes slipping past Vyse with no hate, but a touch of regret before she settled on Drachma. “You can’t get to the capital, those mountains over there are too high. You can’t get to the shipyards for the same reason.”

“Aye. But there are tunnels through the mountains that run trains. They keep all the refineries out here, especially the forced labor ones.” Drachma smirked darkly at that. “If they escape, there’s naught out here to keep them alive but poisoned water leeched with metals and grass tainted by corrosive rain.” His smile dropped away. “Still. They keep  _ some _ frigates about regardless, mostly to watch for smugglers.”

“So, what do you think it means that they’re not around?” Vyse asked after a small pause.

“Nothing good.” Drachma concluded, shaking his head. “But for now...it means we’ll be able to make good time. Where’s this Maw of Tartas anyways, lass?”

“Further east.” Fina supplied helpfully. “According to the Silvite records, a great Moonsteel barrier was erected over the entrance after the yellow Gigas was sealed up, to keep anyone still alive on the surface from gaining access to it. After the Rains of Destruction came, it would have been impervious to any attempt of access still available to the survivors on the continent.”

Drachma jerked at that, feeling old memories rise to the surface at her words.

“This...Seal…” He muttered. “Shaped like a Pentagram? Yellow? Impervious to the elements?”

Fina swiveled her head towards him. “You’ve seen it.”

“Aye.” Drachma muttered. “It’s called the Great Seal by the Valuans. And now I know where we’re headed.” He walked over to the chart table and consulted their course. “Change bearing to course 070, Captain Vyse.” 

“Aye, sir.” Vyse turned the wheel ever so slightly, and the  _ Little Jack _ turned fast to the new heading.

 

***

 

_ The Great Seal _

_ 80 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Mid-Morning _

  
  


It truly was an impressive structure; As they strolled across its surface, the  _ Little Jack _ parked a mile away and hidden behind a rock formation, Drachma was struck by it. He’d never been this close to it in person, had never had a reason to even before the Valuan authorities marked it as a national security site and began restricting access. If it had been opened, it would have been possible to fly a ship twice the size of a normal Valuan ship-of-the-line through it.

Big enough to stuff a Gigas down inside of it, as well, since Fina’s claims had been accurate so far, and he wasn’t about to demean her by doubting it now. Especially since she was over at one corner of it, cooing softly as her little floating puffball of a pufferfish pet let out a particularly pitiable squeal and vomited up another pile of moonstone flakes.

“Well, now we know you shouldn’t eat the discolored ones, don’t we?” She consoled the small creature, dutifully picking through the mess it had coughed up with a handkerchief, and retrieving the still-bright moonstone ‘Chams’ that she’d been finding and feeding the little thing throughout the voyage. “Why don’t we call these nasty ones Choms? Okay, Cupil? No more Choms for you.”

Cupil, to the creature’s credit, recovered fast, although he seemed to be a touch weaker and less resilient than he’d been earlier in the day. Drachma considered the Chams Fina was resecuring, then shook his head and trudged on towards Aika, who was (Perhaps a little stupidly) tapping at the Great Seal with the tip of her ‘Grendel Wing’ as she’d taken to calling her newest boomerang. 

“Fina wasn’t joking about how tough this Seal is.” Aika remarked. Drachma harrumphed, stifling his laughter.

“The Valuans set off about two tons of gunpowder one time about fifteen years back, as the stories go.” 

“Really?” Aika looked around the seal. “I don’t see any scorch marks.”

“Exactly.”

Aika blinked, then did a double take. “Oh.” 

“Aye, exactly.” Drachma rolled his eye. “So, perhaps, ye’ can hold off on poking at it.” Which she eventually did, albeit grudgingly.

“What else have they tried to get through this seal, Captain Drachma?”

“A team of prisoners with pickaxes one time...and then they once aimed an entire fleet’s worth of cannonfire down on it.” 

Vyse joined them after that, his head still swiveling about in search of trouble. “It seems like Valua has thrown everything they possibly could at trying to crack the seal open, then. But...why wouldn’t they just try to dig  _ away _ from the seal, and then come at it underneath from the side?”

Drachma shrugged at that. It seemed like a perfectly good idea, really. Maybe there was something about the bedrock composition which made excavation impossible, or…

Or maybe the Valuans just weren’t all that serious about putting the work into it. 

Any such thoughts or musings were immediately driven away when a shout from up above caused them all to look towards the source; a Valuan sentry, whose cry of alarm caused a small company of troopers to come racing down towards them with swords and stun batons.

Aika growled. “Drachma, you said they threw a couple of tons of gunpowder at this thing and couldn’t crack it, right?”

“Aye?” He said, curious.

“Good.” Fina nodded, channeling spirit fire into her boomerang. “Then this shouldn’t hurt it, either.”

 

***

  
  


It didn’t end up being much of a fight, but really, it had been six guards against four battle-hardened warriors who had cut their teeth fighting monsters and temple guardians and worse things besides. With the amount of battle magic that Aika and Fina brought at the start (Fire and ice and so much  _ wind _ ), the Valuans were only able to get off a few glancing blows before Vyse and Drachma fell on them with thundering fury and force. 

One of them at least surrendered before he was left as a smoking husk or a pincushioned, broken corpse. That was the one who, trembling in a puddle of his own piss, decided it would be a good idea to answer every single one of their questions. Including the most important one to Drachma’s mind; The distinct lack of patrol sentries, and the relative ease of their incursion.

“They were retasked. Scuttlebutt is that they’re joining up with the Sixth Fleet under a new Admiral, that hotshot protege of Galcian’s...Ramirez, I think. We’re gearing up for an assault on Nasrad.” Fina gasped while he was talking. Drachma looked at her for a bit, noticing how  _ pale _ she looked. Like she’d seen a ghost.

Not that he cared.

“Impossible.” Drachma rumbled. “The South Danel Strait is too well fortified. The Valuans didn’t make it through two decades ago during the war, they won’t make it through now.”

“They might...if they used the North Danel Strait.” Fina pointed out, haunted and looking like she wanted to curl into a ball. 

“Impossible.” Vyse snapped. “Not through  _ that _ Sky Rift.” Fina looked ready to argue the point further, though. And why? What did she know about the Valuan’s capacity that none of the rest of them did? Drachma saw the soldier twitch a little, and he adjusted his aim so that the metal knuckles of his false hand were once again pointed directly at the bastard’s helmeted skull. The soldier froze up like a good boy and kept talking.

“Though, that’s not for a while.” The Valuan hastily amended. “Right now, I think that there’s a task force chasing down reports of Rhaknam being spotted out here.”

The answer had the opposite effect that the soldier likely intended; namely, instead of mellowing his bloodlust, Drachma started seeing red. His shoulder ached.

_ “Rhaknam.” _

 

“Drachma.” Vyse began, cautiously. Carefully. “Drachma, you need to focus. Okay?” He spoke like Drachma was a ticking bomb.

Which, he supposed, he rather was. And there was something about the delicacy Vyse was using in his voice that touched an old, worn nerve.

Drachma breathed,  _ slowly _ . Then he turns and looks to Vyse. “Boy. I’ve been helping you and your girls out with your whole ‘save the world’ quest for two months now. But I’m not losing this opportunity.”

Vyse thought about it for about two, perhaps three seconds. Then he smiled and nodded.

“No, you’re not. But if you’re hunting Rhaknam, you’re not doing it alone. Not this time. We’re staying with you, captain.”

The weight of his vengeance eased at those words. The red in his vision faded enough that he could see the other colors again. And he felt a swell of emotion that might be something beyond just relief, that they were staying. That he had a crew, that he wasn’t  _ alone in this _ anymore.

Not that he cared.

His shoulder still aching, Drachma choked on his words, swallowed, and nodded. 

 

***

 

_ 80 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Evening _

  
  


Drachma had parked the ship and told the kids to sleep, taking the long watch that night. He might have slept himself, but there was too much of a chance for Rhaknam to appear...or for the Valuans to catch wind of them properly. In either situation, it was his ship, and he’d be the one to stay awake and looking for trouble.

The fact that being this close to Rhaknam made his memories too vivid for alcohol to numb away had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all. But because there would be no escaping the past tonight, he’d taken a small box usually locked away safely in his cabin up to the deck with him.

In the stillness, footsteps were all too evident, and he knew these too well. The girls were softer, and nowhere near as determined.

 

“Couldn’t sleep, boy?” Drachma asked softly, only turning when the footsteps went still and their owner was caught out.

“Not really.” Vyse admitted, and finished trudging out onto the foredeck to stand close to Drachma. He hadn’t even changed out of his usual uniform. “A lot to think about.”

“...Ye haven’t figured out how to move forward yet with those lasses of yours, have ye?”

“If you know a good way forward after everything’s been overturned, I’m all ears.”

“Can’t do anything if ye don’t take that first step, boy.”

Vyse chuckled uneasily at that and leaned against the rail. “There’s a lot more to you than you let on, old man. Though I’m surprised to find you not drinking.”

“Need to stay sharp tonight.” Drachma said, his hand squeezing around the box a bit. He should have hid it away when he heard Vyse coming. He hadn’t. 

And then Vyse asked what was in the box. Drachma could have refused him. Snapped at him. Told him it was none of his business. He did none of those things, and instead, just handed it over.

Vyse took it, opened it up, looked inside…

And pulled out a brightly colored feather. “Feathers?” He asked.

Drachma nodded. It was his burden, the source of his pain and his vendetta, but it was one he kept to himself. Or he had, anyways. Now, though? Something about the night felt...tilted. Unbalanced. Like things could tip either direction. “Aye. They...belonged to my son.” 

He could stop talking. Leave it at that. Vyse would have respected the silence, he respected Drachma enough days ago to keep the girls from peppering him with questions when Gordo the Round blabbed the secret he’d tried to bury from public scrutiny, but which was still known somehow within the bounds of the North Ocean.

But there was something broken in Drachma, something that had been broken for more than fifteen years. It was what made him want to  _ not _ bottle it up for once. 

There was no ale, no rum. He was clear-headed for once.

Vyse looked at him and waited. He could still not say a damned thing more, and Vyse wouldn’t judge.

Not that he cared what Vyse thought about him.

“He was my precious boy.” Drachma forced the words out, and like a dam that had been clogged, removing the first impediment caused it all to tumble free. “He collected feathers from every bird he could.” He chuckled a little, feeling his eye sting. “Some of them he caught on the wind when we were out fishing. Some of them must have been blown in from Ixa’taka...such pretty colors. And I never knew where they were from.”

Vyse came a little closer to him, handed the box of feathers back, sat down on the deck and pulled his knees up to his chest. In the faint glow of the oil lamp Drachma was using, there was open curiosity in his eyes.

“What was his name?” The boy asked.

And Drachma chuffed. He didn’t laugh. He never laughs, he told himself, and knew immediately it was a comfortable lie. 

“Jack.” The name he hadn’t uttered for 15 years passed his lips. “His name was Jack.”

There might have been tears in Vyse’s eyes at that as he caught the significance of the name, and the  _ ship’s name _ , but Drachma figured he was just seeing things. At least, until he said his next sentence, and Vyse broke just as Drachma did. “You remind me of him some days.”

By mutual agreement, neither of them said anything else until they wiped away the moisture (Not tears, just irritation from a harsh night wind). Drachma spoke a little more, about how he lost his son and his crew and nearly his ship, because the  _ Little Jack _ had always been a fishing vessel first. He wanted to say more, but by then, something in the air had changed.

A sudden fog rolled in, confusing Vyse. But Drachma knew what it was. He jerked up to his feet and glared, the touch of rimefrost in his lungs from the suddenly cool air and the ache in his shoulder worsening by the second.

“Wake the others. It’s time.”

 

***

  
  


This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen, Drachma raged into the night, screaming inside of his head and out of it. They had found Rhaknam. They had  _ found Rhaknam _ . Why were  a trio of Valuan ships chasing after the fell beast and firing on it? He wasn’t about to let them claim the kill! He had hunted this damn whale almost longer than Vyse and the girls had been  _ alive _ . Nobody was taking this from him!

Dropping one of the ships in a surprise attack had been necessary to line up for a shot with the  _ Little Jack’s _ Harpoon Cannon. And the Harpoon Cannon had  _ worked _ , the moonstone-powered barb plowing into Rhaknam’s side and  _ hurting it _ like no cannon shell Drachma had ever fired had been able to. He was reminded of a line from some old tragedy he’d watched by a traveling drama troupe when he had been a boy, and Valua had not been so dark, so polluted, so ruined as it was now.

_ From Hell’s Heart, I stab at thee... _

But then the damn  _ Valuans _ decided that it would be better to fire on the  _ Little Jack _ instead of the giant arcwhale that had ruined so many lives. And the  _ Little Jack _ , bound to Rhaknam by the weight of the Harpoon Cannon’s line, had no room to avoid. No room to counter. Had nothing it could do, really, except sit there and endure the punishment of broadsides and incendiary Pyri shells that left the ship broken, burning. Dying.

“Captain Drachma! Sir!” Vyse yelled, getting his attention. “Sir, the ship is critically damaged!”

“We can’t put out all these fires!” Aika screamed up the stairs. “We have to abandon ship!” She and Fina had raced to get their extinguishers working, once it was clear that the Valuans truly meant to end them. 

“NO!” Drachma howled, because it was all in his grasp. His vengeance, the terrible and inutterable  _ wrong _ of his life, the pain and the agony and  _ fury _ that had fueled him for years had been pooled into that one shot of the Harpoon Cannon, and he had struck at Rhaknam, but the Arcwhale was not  _ dead _ . Not yet. “I’ve not come this far to be denied my revenge! After all that this beast has taken, all the lives he’s ruined, I will see him breathe his last!”

And then Vyse was abandoning the wheel, something Drachma had told him time and time again to never do, and instead he grabbed at Drachma’s chest, shaking him, and his brown eyes burned.

“You can’t avenge your son if you’re  _ dead!” _ Vyse screamed, and between that and the forceful shaking, Drachma’s head cleared a little. “Is Rhaknam’s death worth your life? Is it worth Aika’s, or Fina’s? Is it worth **mine** ?!” 

That broke the last vestiges of his bloodlust, and for once, Drachma realized his mantra had fallen woefully short.

There was something he cared about. Something more important than fifteen years of bitterness and a chase with nothing but death at its end.

So he swallowed, nodded, and with a voice bled raw from screaming at a creature who was a  _ living curse on his life _ , answered the boy.

“All hands to the lifeboats. Prepare to abandon ship.”

 

He moved after that, he knew, but somehow, minutes went by before he blinked and came back to himself again. And when he did, it was to see Aika and Fina crowded into one lifeboat with Aika’s satchel with the Red and Green Moon Crystals held tightly in Fina’s arms, and Vyse looking at them as the ship burned around them.

“This isn’t the end.” Vyse promised them both, though he didn’t reach for their hands, or kiss their foreheads, or stroke their faces like he probably wanted to. His hands flexed on the edge of the lifeboat, and Drachma knew just how much he was holding himself back. “We’ll find each other. We’ll keep going. We’ll find a way.”

“Forget the second lifeboat, Vyse! Just get in here! Drachma can take the second one himself!” Aika snapped, panicking a bit. Maybe she picked up on something in the boy’s voice that set off her warning signals. Vyse shook his head. Maybe he was smiling. “Damnit, Vyse, we’re not  _ leaving you! _ ” 

It ate at Drachma, just how impassioned that spitfire of a redhead could still be after all the pain and misunderstandings. And what Fina couldn’t say with her mouth, she expressed with her eyes.

Vyse, noble to the last. Women and children first. “I love you both.” He said to them, and  _ pushed _ . The girl’s lifeboat slid away from the foundering  _ Little Jack _ and was swept into the gale. 

The boy moved fast after that. One lifeboat to go, and the two of them as passengers. But while Vyse hopped into it in a hurry, Drachma lingered.

“What are you waiting for, old man? Come on!” Vyse urged him, fretfully looking out the back hatch of the burning ship, out to where he’d last seen the girls...no, the  _ women _ that he loved more than anything else. The women he’d do anything to keep safe, and alive, and on speaking terms. Even sacrifice his own heart for. 

Drachma tried to remember the last time he’d cared that much. 

He couldn’t. So, Drachma made a decision.

The lifeboat lurched forward towards the hatch and Vyse stared at him like he’d gone mad. “Drachma! What are you doing?! Get in here!”

But Drachma didn’t. His mind was swirling with what had to be done. If he could get Vyse off, he could make it up to the bridge. Fire the cannons. Keep the Valuans thinking that they were all still aboard. He could give the kids a chance to get away. 

He should have said something to Vyse, Drachma knew. Something to inspire the lad, or to keep him focused. He wanted to tell Vyse to look after his girls, because time, Drachma understood, would let them figure themselves out. 

But he didn’t say anything. He’d spent all his time with them trying to get them to believe that he  _ didn’t care _ , and he’d done the job too well.

So he smiled, winked, and shoved Vyse and the last lifeboat out of the stern of the  _ Little Jack _ , and watched the boy that he considered a son in all but name disappear into the maelstrom, screaming his name.

Not that he  _ cared _ . But if he did, Drachma mused as he stood sweating in the bowels of his burning ship, the legacy of half a lifetime’s vendetta come to collect its due…

There were worse ways to go than saving his kid’s lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The trick to Drachma is understanding that you'll rarely get him to TELL you what he's thinking. But once you start watching the old man more carefully, he's an open book. He's always so damn gruff...but he does care. Much as he pretends not to.  
> He cares enough to not get the kids killed off because of his Vendetta Quest, in the end. They're meant for bigger things.
> 
> And yes, I firmly believe that the game's creators MEANT for Drachma to be the living epitome of Captain Ahab, and Rhaknam as his Great White Whale. Crusty old captain, obsessed about a whale? Kind of hard to avoid the parallels. So you'll excuse me if I used a quote from his story. Hey, if Star Trek can do it...


	16. What Am I To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aika and Fina, stranded in Nasrad, struggle to keep themselves together, and Fina shows Aika that she isn't alone...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Sixteen: What Am I To You**

  
  


_ 82 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Location Unknown _

  
  


There had been the pain of watching Vyse, still aboard the burning ship, slipping away from them as their lifeboat’s small engines kicked in and were promptly overwhelmed by the wild storm kicked up by Rhaknam’s wake. There had been the fear and confusion as she and Fina hung on for dear life, clutching to the tiny skiff and the Moon Crystals and each other with all the strength they had, and the sensation of being lost to the storm.

At the end, when the squall that had dragged them Moons knew where and left their boat fluttering and drifting aimlessly in unfamiliar skies was over, there was a bone-deep weariness and the darkness of full exhaustion, and Aika, strung out and with nothing left to give, let it claim her. When she came to again, her body ached, her head was swimming, and she could hear voices burbling around her. Trying to open her eyes just brought her pain, but she flailed out anyways.

Where was Vyse?! She  _ needed _ Vyse! Where was  _ Fina?! _

“Easy, girl! Easy! You’re all right!” There were soft hands, warm hands, holding her down. She was struggling. She needed Vyse. She needed  _ Fina _ , and...and…

“You’re okay. You’re both okay.” A woman’s voice. Several women’s voices. Her throat hurt. Why did her throat hurt? 

Oh. Oh, she’d been  _ screaming _ . 

Something cool and moist pressed to her forehead, and behind it there was a tingle of magic. Healing magic.

She felt very tired all of a sudden.

“Rest. Just rest. You’re going to be all right. You both are.” That woman’s voice, warm and reassuring, said again. And Aika really was tired. But she had to know. She had to…

Then someone grabbed her arm just above the wrist, moved it to the side, and she felt smooth skin underneath her fingers. Smooth skin, and soft hair, and a circlet with a veil…

“Fina…” Aika wheezed. Fina was here. 

“Sleep. You’re both safe.” The woman repeated.

Finally believing it, Aika gave up and let the spell of healing sleep take her.

 

***

 

The next time she woke up, she was surrounded by warmth, and softness, and the smell of flowers. Where was the hard bunk? Where was the smell of engine oil and…

_ Fina… _

She inhaled sharply, and froze. She could still smell Fina, but everything else was different, and wrong. When she opened her eyes, the familiar lines of the  _ Little Jack _ were missing. She was in an enormous bed with sheets that felt so smooth around her, and when she looked down the length of her body, she was covered by an enormous comforter, brighter and warmer than anything else she’d ever seen in her life. The room was shaded in paints and fabrics of pinks, reds, and yellows, warm colors and furniture and decorations that reminded Fina of a honeymoon suite at the fancier places they’d stayed in various ports. 

And Fina was sleeping in the bed right next to her. Some of the tension bled out of her. Relief took its place.

_ I have lost my...lost Vyse. I have lost my ship. I have lost almost everything, but I still have you. I still have my friend. _

And then right after she felt that bit of reassurance, after the most pressing needs and losses were addressed, her brilliant mechanic’s mind spun to the other things that she had to worry about.

The Moon Crystals.  _ The Moon Crystals! _

She jerked upright with a gasp and immediately regretted it, her head swimming with fresh pain and a bump she couldn’t remember getting pulsing on the back of her skull. For a moment, her blurry vision saw double.

But even with that, she saw the two bags on the two...the  _ one _ satchel on the  _ one _ table next to the bed, she corrected herself. The flap was strapped down tight, but the geometric shapes of an octahedron and a pyramid bulged the sides out.

They were safe. They were not taken. 

Valua hadn’t won.

Not yet. And for a moment, Aika was plagued with a sudden thought. If Valua was really after the Moon Crystals, and Fina’s plan to stop them was to round them all up and take them back to her people to hide them…

Wouldn’t it just be easier to  _ throw them overboard _ and let the abyss of the Deep Sky claim them, where nobody could ever find them? Where nobody would ever think to look to retrieve them?

 

The sound of the door opening shattered that logical, dark,  _ dark  _ thought and blasted her back to the warm room and the warm bed and a warm, sleeping Fina...who was finally stirring at the sound of the door being accessed. 

A woman with perfectly styled red hair and a frilly pink dress fancier than anything Aika had seen in her life came into the room, concern in her eyes until she saw that Aika was up and alert, and Fina was slowly doing the same. 

“Hello, girls!” The woman said brightly. “Oh, I’m glad that you’re finally awake. You two were like death warmed over when we found you.”

Fina groaned and rubbed at her eyes, and Aika stilled her questions long enough to reach over and rub the other girl’s back to comfort her. Then she looked back to their rescuer. “And...we’re glad for the rescue. But who are you? Where are we? And  _ why _ does this room look like a honeymoon suite?”

The perfectly pressed red-haired woman twirled into the room with a broad smile, and behind her came a pair of female sailors bearing trays with drinks and cut fruit. 

“Answers, in order? My name is Clara, also known as ‘Calamity Clara’, of the Blue Rogues. You’re on board my ship, the  _ Primrose _ , currently headed for the city of Nasrad where we were on our way for resupply when we stumbled across you.” She gestured with a hand around the room. “And really, dear, it’s bad form to go besmirching the decor of your rescuer.”

Clara.  _ Another _ Blue Rogue that Aika had never heard of. Still, it was heartening, and she sighed in relief. “Sorry. It’s...We’ve been through a lot. My name is Aika, and this is Fina. We’re Blue Rogues as well.”

“Really?” Clara’s amused smile faltered for genuine astonishment, shot through with joy. “Oh, fantastic! Who are you with?”

And the moment of happiness broke.

_ I’m not with anyone. _

Fina spoke up for her. “We were sailing with Captain Vyse of the Blue Rogues, when...we were separated.”

“I haven’t heard of him.”

“...He is the son of Captain Dyne.” Fina added, and Aika chanced a look up to Clara.

The red-haired woman sucked in a sharp breath, and went pale for a moment.

“You’ve heard of him.” Fina went on, and though she was as tired, as sore, as hurting as Aika was, the wounds to her heart and her mind weren’t as terrible. So she spoke for them both.

Clara slowly started to breathe again, and managed to reach a chair before she fell down. As it was, she fairly collapsed into it. “Not a one of us hasn’t. Dyne was the First.”

“The first  _ what _ ?” Aika asked. “Centime said something about him being Valuan. It shocked us, Vyse worst of all.”

Clara shook her head. “Dyne was the First Blue Rogue. The First to raise our banner. The First to break away from tyranny, and imagine a better way.”

“Were you Valuan?” Fina asked quietly. “Like Dyne and Centime?”

“No.” Clara answered, and a faint smile returned to her face. “No, I’m not. And do I  _ look _ that old? No, I joined after.  _ Much _ later after. You would have been young girls then, seven or eight years old, I think.” She looked between Aika and Fina and came to some quiet decision. “There’s a lot I think we should talk about, but it can wait. We’ve not reached Nasrad yet, won’t for a few hours. And you two are still shaken up, and you need more rest.” Clara gestured to the two members of her crew who’d come in, and they set the drinks and plates of food down beside Aika’s satchel on the little table. “So, take your time. And when you feel up to it, you can come out and join us on the bridge, though if it’s not for a few hours, I won’t be mad about it. Moons know I know how comfortable my bed can be.”

The female Blue Rogue spun around with another flourish, following her crew out of the borrowed bedroom and leaving Aika and Fina alone. Aika stared down at her hands, resting in her lap, and felt the weight of her red hair freed from their braids, left hanging down behind her head in wild, staticky clumps. She tried to think of something to say, and couldn’t. It was left to Fina to break the silence, who did so after having Cupil manifest off of her wrist so she could hug it close like a plush doll.

“Aika? What is a honeymoon suite?”

Aika lost it, slipping into wild, gasping laughter. 

No ship. No Vyse. The Moon Crystals still intact. His last words, before he pushed them out into the storm, away from death.

**_“I love you both.”_ **

Somewhere in those lost seconds, she had begun crying, because she could feel Fina behind her, holding her close. Holding her tightly, holding her together, because she was breaking all over again.

“We’ll find him.” Fina promised, her arms iron wrapped in velvet around Aika’s waist as she buried her face into Aika’s hair. “I  _ swear _ to you, Aika, we will find him.”

Aika didn’t know where to start, but she slumped against her friend like the lifeline she was.

 

***

 

_ The Primrose _

_ Bridge _

  
  


Calamity Clara was as different from Captain Dyne as Centime was, Aika decided after ten solid minutes in her company. While she and Fina regaled the Blue Rogue about their exploits since they rescued Fina from “Admiral Fop” in Mid-Ocean, Clara listened intently, but with an openness to her emotions that Dyne utterly lacked, and which Centime hid behind a placid, child-friendly mask of constant calm and warmth. The food and drink that they’d been given was gone by the time they joined her on the bridge, but Clara still plied them with a warm mug of tea as she listened to their stories of fighting and fleeing from the Valuans, of treachery and a long suicidal voyage, of terrifying giants and crimes against humanity. Her eyes sparkled at the tales of ancient ruins and lost secrets...and when the truth of what Aika held in her satchel was known, it was fair to say the woman blanched.

“Powerful enough…”

“Powerful enough to sustain the Valuan war machine for years. Individually.” Fina repeated. “Or awaken and control its linked Gigas. We saw the devastation Valua inflicted on its own land, its own  _ people _ to feed the war machine of expansion.” The Silvite shook her head. “We cannot allow Valua the opportunity to continue that rampage with exponential growth. But...Priorities. We need to find Vyse. We have to know, if...if he didn’t…”

Clara tut-tutted and gave them a gentle smile. “You girls need to have a little more faith in your man. If he’s anything like my Gilder, he’ll show up again and surprise the heck out of you.”

Aika chuffed once, trying for a laugh and failing to make it sing the way it deserved to. “He would know what to do.” She said, and winced when it sounded more like an admission than an observation. 

She wasn’t surprised, though, not really. She was lost, and shaken, and couldn’t see a way out of it. 

She wanted Vyse, and he wasn’t here. She felt Fina’s hand slide against hers, the girl’s fingers parting her own, sliding between them, squeezing hard.

She still had Fina. She still had her friend.

“We need a ship.” Fina declared, somehow unbroken in spite of their mutual loss. “We might be able to find one in Nasrad, yes?”

“Yes, but it won’t be cheap. And I don’t know how much money you girls have on you, but it likely isn’t enough.”

Aika shook her head. Clara was right, they had almost nothing for funds. Vyse had been holding on to most of their money, since Aika and Fina had been put in charge of the Moon Crystals and their other valuables. Not that they’d had much for money even before; they spent it almost as fast as they made it. They hadn’t had that much when they got to the Maw of Tartas, and…

Aika stopped, going wide-eyed. “Nasrad is in danger.” She breathed out, her own sadness blown away on the winds of trouble.

“What do you mean?” Clara asked, confused. “In danger from what?”

“Valua.” Fina explained, grabbing onto Aika’s thought and expanding it. “While we were sailing through Valua’s skies, before we were separated, we interrogated a Valuan soldier. From him we learned that a substantial fleet is being put together with the sole purpose of leading an attack on Nasrad. And we suspect that they mean to use the North Danel Strait to do it.”

Clara shook her head. “Impossible. The sky rifts around the North Danel Strait are too powerful. Sky rifts in  _ general _ are too powerful for most ships to survive.”

And Fina smiled with a certainty that had been growing since De Loco had fired that ‘moonstone cannon’ of his in the battle against Grendel and King Ixa’taka. “We’ve spent a lot of time fighting the Valuans lately. Relying on old assumptions about their technological prowess would not be a wise decision.” 

“The Nasultan isn’t known for his...openness to new ideas.” Clara cautioned them. “And in truth, you would be better off if you stayed clear of the palace.”

Fina’s smile thinned, but stayed. “Failing to try and warn them of Valua’s plans would make us no better than collaborators. We must try.”

Clara sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.” She looked to another member of her crew and made a small gesture, and for a moment, Aika braced herself for an act of treachery. A second passed before her stance melted away for shame; Blue Rogues didn’t do that to one another. A bag of money was produced, and handed over to them. “I can’t spare much, but what I can give, I gladly do. And the advice is free. Stay in the public spaces. Avoid dark alleys. When you try to speak to the Nasultan, dress plainly, and mar your features. Do not carry your money openly; hide some in your clothes. As much as possible, stay together. Drink nothing you have not poured yourself, and if you wander away from a glass, stay clear of it after.”

Fina went pale, as did Aika, but at least Aika had a clue for Clara’s caution. The redhead nodded slowly. “We’ll be careful, Clara.”

“See that you do.” The Blue Rogue nodded once. “And there is an inn that is known to the Blue Rogues; It is called  _ The Calm Sands _ . Ask for a woman named Fatima, and then mention my name. She will not offer a discount, but she will keep you safe during your stay. For as long as it is. Just be sure to pay your bill. She is friendly to Blue Rogues, but we are still on the less reputable side of the law.”

“We will.” Aika promised, memorizing the information. “And thank you, Clara.”

It wasn’t much. A small bit of coin, not enough for a ship of their own, a port of possible danger, and a lone contact friendly to them.

Aika shrugged off the worry. She was a Blue Rogue.

They’d done more with less.

 

***

 

_ Nasrad, The Calm Sands Inn _

_ 83 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Midday _

  
  


Fatima was an older woman with a face burnished by the harsh sun that gleamed bright in the lands of the Red Moon. Yes, she knew of Clara, and no, that didn’t mean that these two girls fresh off the boat were getting a discount, she warned them. Being forewarned, Aika managed a mute nod, managing to remember to ask for their stay to be kept on a tab, at least while they’re looking for additional work. Aika had Fatima pegged as a tough as nails sort of lady with a no-nonsense attitude, someone who’d lived a hard life and wore the scowls it caused like a shield.

But she didn’t give them any flak, either. She scowled, and glared, but all the same, she handed them a key and packed them up the stairs, and had only one last thing to say;  _ “Be sure you get back here before it gets dark.” _ Then she’d paused, and almost after-the-fact, added,  _ “If you miss the evening meal, it’s on your heads.” _

Their room was small, with spartan decorations and the mattress was lumpy underneath her as Aika sank down into it. She leaned back on her arms and looked up at the ceiling.

The plan.  _ Remember the plan. _ The room would be on a tab. They were going to find Vyse.

They had to find Vyse.

“It’s...very homey here.” Fina ventured carefully, bouncing a little on the worn-out mattress of her own bed. “So...what do we do now?”

“Jobs.” Aika said, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times. “We need...we need jobs. We need money.”

“For a ship.” Fina added. “What Clara gave us is a start, right?”

Aika nodded, and bit her lip. Then Fina got up off of her bed and came over to sit beside her. She reached for Aika’s hand, placed her own over it. 

“Breathe, Aika.” Fina said, some heat in her voice. Which was confusing. Aika  _ was _ breathing. 

Oh. Wait. Why was everything so dark?

Aika breathed, and the darkness faded. 

“Better.” Fina hummed, and pulled Aika’s arm out away from her. Aika flopped sideways onto the bed after that. She flopped down beside Aika as well, and blue eyes met brown. She never let go of Aika’s hand. “You froze up there.”

Aika kept breathing. She had to keep breathing. 

_ Remember the plan. _

She needed Vyse.

“Are we in danger?” Fina asked her. 

“Always.” Aika knew that to her bones. “This is  _ Nasrad _ . It’s not like Sailor’s Isle. It’s not like my home. Things are wilder here. More free. But for every two people who would treat you decent or would ignore you if you weren’t buying anything from them, there will be one who will try and hurt us. Because it will profit them.”

“But you know what to look out for.” Fina argued. “And Clara...she warned us. About what to watch out for.”

“I...I know.” Aika shook her head. Fina squeezed her hand again, and Aika remembered to breathe again. “I just...I need…”

Fina kept staring into Aika’s eyes, not blinking. Like she was pinning Aika down. 

“Tell me what you need.” Fina whispered.

Aika shut her eyes. She needed Vyse.

“I need to know that we’re going to be okay. I need Vyse.”

She felt Fina move. She felt the Silvite’s lips press against her forehead, felt her pull back afterwards.

“We’re going to be fine. And we’re going to find Vyse. We’re going to save him. And then we’re going to keep on stopping Valua from ruining the world. Okay?”

Fina sounded so sure of that. “Okay.” Aika whispered.

“First, you’re going to take a nap. And then we’re going to go look for jobs, before we come back here so you can sleep.”

“Okay.” Aika repeated. Fina squeezed her hand.

She kept breathing, and did it without the reminder.

 

***

 

_ The Cactus Barrel Tavern, Nasrad _

_ 84 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


They did find work, and in relatively short order; They had gone off to whet their whistles at a more upscale tavern along the main road leading up into the Nasultan’s palace, and after seeing just how harried the shortstaffed workers were, had inquired about working there. They’d been hired on the spot and told to report back the next day.

Today. 

They were a couple of hours into their shift, and the lunch crowd was slowly filtering out, leaving only the older folks who no longer had to work to wile away inside away from the midday heat, playing their board games. Aika was waiting tables, and at her insistence, Fina stayed behind the bar, pouring out ales and wines. 

Aika put down her tray and slid the empty mugs over to her friend. “Another pair of Firejuice ales for the gamblers.” She said, tilting her head back to where two old men were stubbornly working over a backgammon set. “How are you holding up, Fina?”

“I’m gaining a newfound respect for the loqua tavern owner we met in Horteka.” Fina said, sweating a bit from the work and the heat inside of the stone building. She slid the mugs under the taps and got to work, tilting them in the way that the owner had demonstrated to reduce the head of foam. “And Merida.”

“Moons only knows what she had to put up with, working there.” Aika murmured. She leaned in as she reclaimed the now full cups. “Anyone try to get fresh with you?”

Fina’s blue eyes glimmered darkly. “Not yet.” She whispered back, and Cupil, sitting on her wrist as a silver bracelet, moved slightly. “But I’m ready if they do. You?”

Aika smirked, touching her top. “One knife in my right boot. The obvious one at my waist, the boomerang on my back...and one tucked in between the girls. Just in case.”

Fina whistled lowly. “You  _ are _ prepared. I almost feel sorry for anyone who tries something stupid with you.”

“Blue Rogue.” Aika smirked. Not that she really needed the knives for drunken idiots; that, she had her hand to hand training for, as one man who’d almost gotten his wrist broken for slapping her ass earlier had learned. It was more for the morons that might try something outside of the saloon. “And I’m reasonably sure, Fina, that you count as one by now.”

Fina shook her head. “I have taken no vow of loyalty. I remain a priestess of the Silver Moon.”

“Honorary Blue Rogue, then.” Aika scooped up the mugs, left the tray behind, and sauntered over to the two game-playing men. “Two ales, as requested. Ten gold, please.” The money was handed over, with a few extra coins for a tip, and Aika smiled and winked as she stepped away.

She could feel their eyes on her backside, but they had more sense than to reach for the goods. The coins she set into the till, and the tip went to Fina, who quietly tucked them away in a pouch that went into a formerly invisible pocket on the side of her skirt.

“A little bit at a time.” Aika advised the other girl. “We’ll get there.”

 

***

 

_ The Calm Sands Inn _

_ Evening _

  
  


They kept to the main roads on the walk home, but even with that, there was a spot of trouble from a group of drunk young men who didn’t know how to take no for an answer. They got put down hard, and were left as a groaning pile of limbs while the girls returned back to the inn. Fatima gave them a gimlet eye, but didn’t ask anything. She just grunted and shoved them towards the communal dining hall, where they ate their fill of a spicy meat and vegetable stew, fluffy long-grain rice, and bread meant to be dipped in the main course. Their mouths were fairly on fire afterwards, and the cold milk that came with it was welcome relief. 

Afterwards, as they were settling up in their room, they took turns washing out the sweat of the day from their clothes and their bodies. Aika went first at Fina’s suggestion, and came out wearing a long shift that dragged down to her calves and left her feet and ankles bare. While Fina bathed and hung her clothes to dry for tomorrow, Aika brushed out all of her hair...and there was a lot of it.

She was still working on it when Fina came out, rubbing at her own hair while Cupil, who had regained his size and strength after the unfortunate Chom incident thanks to Fina’s quick work in recovering and feeding him his lost Chams, took on the form of a comb and brushed through her shoulder-length blonde hair with practiced strokes.

“Has he always been able to do that?” Aika asked. Fina shook her head as she sat down beside Aika. 

“He learned to do it after I fed him all of the Chams he coughed up. They’re all a little bit different from each other...something about the sequence gave him flexibility. He got back his shield, but he lost his cone projectile form. Non-combat shapes are easier for him to adopt. I think that he learns and tries to adapt to what I need. And after...after Valua...We lost all our combs.”

_ And everything else, _ Aika said to herself. “That must come in handy. You’ve had him for a while, you said. That he was your pet?”

“For a long time, Cupil was...was really, my only friend.” Fina said, and plucked Cupil out of the air still shaped like a comb. “Here, let me help you with that.” And she started in on Aika’s hair without waiting for permission. Aika froze up for a moment, but relaxed after the third brushstroke, letting Fina take the lead.

“Your hair really is very pretty.” Fina said, after a minute of working through the tangles and knots that Aika hadn’t gotten to yet. “I enjoy doing this. As I recall, you enjoy it as well.”

Aika mumbled an affirmative, closing her eyes. It was something that Fina had started doing back when they had been crossing the Southern Ocean, back when the Silvite had needed something,  _ anything _ , to take her mind off of the constant torrential winds and storms that plagued it. It allowed them a chance to relax, and to learn about each other. Aika told Fina about how it had been Vyses’ mother who brushed her hair out as a little girl. Fina told Aika about how she’d never had parents, and how it had been a long-forgotten friend who did it for her.

“You did good today, Princess.” Aika sighed. “We actually did okay with our tips. Tomorrow, we should do even better.”

“How much will it cost us, Aika? To buy a ship and look for Vyse?”

“A ship big enough for three of us, but able to be piloted by one?” Aika sighed. “Our next day off, we’ll have to go down to the docks and ask around. A skiff would be our best bet, but finding a decent one that’s less than 3,000 gold pieces will be tough. Then you figure on all the supplies to provision it? Add another 600 or so. Although that’s Mid-Ocean prices. I’m not sure what a boat or the supplies will go for here.”

Fina made a small noise of agreement. “So, how much do we have now?”

Aika shrugged. “About half, most of that’s from what Clara gave us. If we can manage what we earned today...I figure about a week and a half should put us over what we need.”

“And this is on top of trying to warn the Nasultan. And finding time to ask down at the docks about finding a ship.”

Aika laughed a little. “You make it sound  _ hard _ , Princess.”

“Right. I forgot. Blue Rogue. You live for the impossible.”

“And you’re an Honorary Blue Rogue.”

Fina finished brushing out her hair, and started grabbing at it. Aika jolted and turned her head around. “What are you doing, Fina?”

“Braiding your hair so you can sleep.”

“I braid my hair in the morning when I wake up.” Aika protested. “I sleep with it down.”

“You don’t want me to braid it? I mean, it gets everywhere.”

Aika bit the inside of her cheek. “If it gets staticky, then it has all day in my pigtails to balance out.”

“I’m just saying…”

“What?” Aika snapped, glaring at her. “ _ What _ are you saying, exactly?”

“I…” Fina stammered, shaken but still going. “The way you wear it, it’s like you’re always trying to keep it out of the way. But then you sleep with it down. I’m just wondering why you don’t wear it short.”

Aika shut her eyes. “Forget it. You’re right. I should just cut it off. Didn’t do me any good anyways.” She reached for one of her sharper knives, but Fina made a strangled noise of protest, and shot her hand out to intercept her wrist.

“Don’t.” Fina pleaded with her. “Please don’t.”

“I should. It’s useless.”

“No, it’s not. It’s very pretty. It’s longer than mine, and…” Fina went on. Aika looked back at her, and there was surprise on the girl’s face, then understanding. “Oh. You kept it long for Vyse...didn’t you?”

Aika twitched at that, then slumped. 

“Aika?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Aika finally said, and laughed bitterly. “I was an idiot. He loves  _ both _ of us? How...what kind of an answer was that?”

Fina didn’t move, but she didn’t let go of Aika’s wrist either. “Maybe his heart is big enough to make room for more than one person.” She ventured carefully.

“I’ve never heard of something like that before.” Aika muttered. “It’s ridiculous. You get married, you have one person in your life. What would that make the other person? Who would be his wife, and who would be his  _ mistress _ ?” Her voice thickened up, and she let out a watery snort. “He was right. He couldn’t do that to us.”

“But you still love him.” Fina said.

Aika closed her eyes. “Moons save me, yes.” And it hurt. It hurt to think it. It hurt more to say it.

Fina reached around and hugged her gently. “There’s no wrong way to love, if they love you back.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you. I’m not going to  _ love him _ and let him treat you like...like a  _ mistress _ .” Aika argued. “If he’s even...if he’s still…”

“He’s alive.” Fina promised her, burying her face into the back of Aika’s shoulder. “If you believe nothing else, Aika, please. Believe that. He’s alive.”

“How do you know?” Aika croaked, pulling away enough to turn and look at her friend. 

“I believe in him.” Fina said, smiling gently. “He makes the impossible happen. He survived Rhaknam once with you. He’ll survive that Arcwhale again. We will get a ship. We will find him. All will be well, dear heart.”

Aika wanted to argue the point more, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have enough energy left to do so. So she just mutely nodded her head, then stood up.

“Let’s get some sleep.” Fina got up off of her bed as well, and Aika pulled back the covers. She climbed in, expecting Fina to go over to her bed and do the same.

Aika didn’t expect what she actually did; Fina climbed into Aika’s bed behind her, and spooned in closely until she could feel the Silvite’s soft breasts pressing into her back.

“...Fina?” Aika breathed. “What are you doing?”

“Sleeping.” Fina mumbled.

“But...but you have your own bed.”

“Don’t care.”

“It’s not proper!” Aika finally found the strength to argue, even as her head grew heavy on the pillow. “Fina, Vyse said…”

“What Vyse  _ said _ , what Vyse  _ feels _ , doesn’t change anything about how  _ we  _ feel.” Fina contradicted her firmly. “We were friends before. We’re friends now. And you’re a wreck.” Aika opened her mouth to speak, but could only squeak as Fina’s fingertips came up and brushed over them, pulling them shut. 

Fina’s thumb traced a gentle line over the side of her cheek afterwards. “If I left my own bed, would you be able to sleep tonight? At all? Would you feel  _ safe _ ?”

Aika didn’t say anything. Fina brushed her hair aside and left a kiss, soft and gentle, but lasting for three seconds, against the back of her neck.

“Let me be here for you.” Fina asked her, and there was a bit of shuffling before she settled into place and let one arm rest over Aika’s side, the hand pooled up just beneath her ribs.

 

Aika swallowed, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart, the rush of heat between her tingling lips and her core.

“Okay.” Aika whispered. Fina didn’t stir.

“Okay, what?” The Silvite yawned.

“I’ll...keep my hair long.” 

Fina’s exhaled breath danced among the wild strands that fell to cover her neck again. “Good.”

And they slept.

 

***

  
  


_ 86 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ The Nasrad Docks _

  
  


With so many things to do, Aika took charge of the errands on a day that she wasn’t scheduled, but Fina was. After walking Fina to work, she’d taken Clara’s advice to heart, dirtied up her face, and then traded a vagrant their rattiest bit of homespun robe for a meal. 

The Nasultan’s guards absolutely refused to let a vagrant pass by; the man apparently lived very separate from his people, and even Aika’s pleas that she carried a warning about Valuan aggression didn’t get a sympathetic response. She was turned away, and even as angry as that made her, it beat the alternative; being welcomed into the palace and then taken as one of the Nasultan’s ‘entertainments.’

She hoped for better luck down at the docks, and stowed away the homespun robe for later in a different satchel that resembled her old one well enough to fool most people. For the time being, the Moon Crystals (And their cache of gold) were kept locked away in their room, stowed beneath a loose floorboard that she had found on their first night, and then promptly sealed up with nails afterwards. When it came time to leave, it would be easy enough to retrieve them.

Nasrad was as different a port as Sailor’s Island or the Valuan capital had been; Long, branching docks jutted out from the southern part of Nasrad’s massive island, filled with ships of every make and model. It didn’t have the cozy feel of Sailor’s Island, which was busy but casual, nor did it feel ominous and oppressive as Valua. If there was a word that summed up Nasrad’s port, it was  _ loud _ . 

She flinched at the sound of a massive mounted cannon being fired at the perimeter, which made the merchants and dock workers only look up for half a second before resuming their duties. So, an expected event.

Ah. Midday cannon. It made sense.

“You can set your clock by Captain Khazim!” One dock worker laughed nearby. “The fool gunner drives his crews mad with his need for precision!”

“Ah, it makes me glad that I took a job here, even if it did make my cousin angry at me.” A second said, grunting slightly as the pair lifted up a crate and moved it from one section of a covered storehouse to another. “Here, we don’t have to worry about being blown apart from stray gunpowder.”

“Aye, just breaking your foot if you drop a crate wrong!” Their supervisor shouted out, breaking the revelry. “Be quick about it, lads, we’ve another shipment of dried Red Sardis coming in from Maramba today and we need the space to store it all!”

She shook her head and went over to one of the dock supervisors, easily identifiable by his finer clothes and the clipboard and miniature abacus hanging from his belt. “Good afternoon.”

The middle-aged fellow did a double take and then smiled. “A thousand welcomes, young desert flower! What might we do for you?”

“I’m looking to buy a skyworthy vessel of smaller size. Where would I go, and who would I need to talk to?” 

“To find a ship to purchase, you would be best served in visiting the Sailor’s Guild, daughter of the red moon.” It was an obvious reference to her red hair, and one she’d heard before in Maramba, and Aika let it slide. “You could, of course, wander the docks and make inquiries, but reputable sellers post the availability of smaller vessels on the Guild Registry.” What went unsaid, Aika could suss out, was that less reputable sellers  _ didn’t _ . 

But Clara’s warning hung heavy in the air of Nasrad. So Aika smiled, thanked the man, turned, and wandered back into Nasrad proper to consult with the Guildmaster.

 

***

 

_ Sailor’s Guild, Nasrad Branch _

  
  


The guildmaster listened to Aika’s plight with far more sympathy than she would have expected. He also seemed eerily similar in appearance to the guildmaster from Maramba.

“Large family.” The fellow in the green and yellow guild vestments explained with a small smile. “But, there are differences. For example, see my scar here?” He motioned over one eye, and Aika realized after the fact that it was made of glass, a clear deep gash visible over its surface. “Cannon explosion. I look like my brother and father and cousins on casual inspection, but we do our best to distinguish ourselves somehow. This one just was a bit more voluntary, and our mothers are careful to never reuse names. Can you imagine how much of a headache it would be if we all had the same damn name, seeing as so many of us work in the Guild?” After they both laughed, he sobered up. “I am sorry to hear of your misfortunes. However, there are not that many advertisements for a ship of your size; Here in Nasrad, smaller vessels are typically crafted as pleasure craft. I think I have two listings that are close to a skiff in type; One is for 10,000 and the other for eleven.”

Aika winced. “So expensive?”

“Nasrad is a booming trade city.” The guildmaster shrugged. “It tends to drive prices up, I am afraid. I take it you do not carry that amount?”

“No.” Aika frowned. “I don’t suppose you would buy Discovery information?”

“Oh, certainly. Do you have your ship’s journal with coordinates and other details?” He said cheerfully. But Aika’s face fell further. No, she didn’t.

Vyse was the one who always kept the logbook. 

“No.” She sighed. “My friend and I are currently working to save up enough money, but at these prices, we’ll be at it for a while longer.” 

“Hm. There is one other option, my dear.” The guildmaster said thoughtfully. “There is a merchant whose establishment is rather close. Her name is Osman, of Osman’s shop. She specializes in rare valuables and also works as a moneylender and notary public. You might be able to convince her to sponsor you.”

Aika listened carefully. “You don’t seem sure of that.”

“She is a merchant.” The guildmaster said with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

 

***

 

_ 1 Hour Later _

  
  


After being kept waiting, belittled, and then insulted for being poor, Aika had been forced to suffer the indignity of being kicked out of Osman’s with nothing to show for her efforts but bruises, scraped legs, and dusty clothes. She returned to the tavern where Fina was still working, and found it rowdier than usual, with an entire ship’s crew having come in during her morning off. They were more raucous than usual, and Fina looked fairly on edge. The shimmer at her wrist immediately set off alarm bells in Aika’s mind as the Silvite backed away from a table of inebriated patrons who were reaching for her. She was almost about to summon Cupil. And the manager? The manager had been dragged half over the bar by his shirt, and the man holding him was cocking a fist back to lay him out flat. If Fina looked concerned, the manager was well and truly  _ terrified _ . 

Aika could have shouted out a warning, given the tavern goers a chance to snap out of whatever drunken haze they were in. But she didn’t. She was a Blue Rogue, and she’d seen this look in men’s eyes a dozen times over sailing with Vyse and Captain Dyne; a ship’s crew on liberty after a long voyage, hellbent on imbibing as much wine, women, and revelry as they could cram in at once. And when they acted like this bunch was now, things got broken, and people got hurt.

Aika wasn’t going to let them hurt Fina. She snapped her boomerang out and hurled it full force across the room, watching with satisfaction as the blunt end of it smashed into the back of the skull of the man closest to Fina. He let out a single pained grunt and then collapsed, and the noise in the tavern came to a halt. 

Aika calmly waited as her boomerang swerved back to her, then caught it in her gloved hand. She raised an eyebrow as all of the men in the tavern stared at her.

“You’re causing a disturbance. Either get back to your chairs and settle down, or get out.” She growled out. 

And if that polite suggestion didn’t just go ignored. Still, as the first of the rowdy bar clowns came rearing at her, it bought Fina enough time to manifest Cupil into the shape of a broad cutlass that she slashed at her attacker, carving a gouge along his arm that made him reel back in shock. Fina smirked as one guy came at her with a chair, and cracked her knuckles.

_ I needed a good fight anyways. _

 

Five minutes later, Aika and Fina stood victorious over a pile of groaning and sometimes unconscious men. There had been a lot of them, sure, but Aika and Fina had carved their teeth in fighting together on much stronger, much more  _ sober _ enemies. 

“Maybe that will teach you to respect a woman’s boundaries!” Fina declared hotly. Aika laughed and wiped a thin line of sweat off of her forehead.

“Good work, Fina. You okay, boss?” She asked, looking to the manager who was back on his feet, but stared between the girls and the pile of broken up rabble rousers.

“They...they were, and you…”

Aika rolled her eyes, and turned briefly towards the door as she overheard the sound of footsteps running for the tavern. “The Nasrad watch is coming.” She sauntered over to the pile of incapacitated men and leaned down, nudging him with her boot. “This just wasn’t a good day for you to be stupid, was it?” The man rolled over slightly, and his shirt shifted enough to expose a tattoo under the sleeve of his shirt. Aika’s eyes sharpened, and she leaned in, lifting his shirt up for a closer look at his arm.

A Black Pirates’ mark...and one bearing a familiar personalized crest.

“You fly with Baltor the Black-Bearded.” Aika said aloud, and then she moved to a second man, checking him as well. He also had a tattoo, but on his forearm, hidden underneath a bracer. “You’re  _ all _ Black Pirates.” And then she smiled and looked over to Fina. “I think our luck just improved.” 

Fina blinked, not entirely sure what she meant. Aika calmly stood back up, stowed her boomerang, and turned to the door, looking presentable when the Nasrian town guard came storming in.

“These men are Black Pirates, serving under the authority of Baltor the Black-Bearded!” She declared. “They were accosting us and making unwanted advances, and we fought them off. The bounty for their capture is due to myself and my friend here!”

The lead guard looked dubiously at her, even  _ more _ dubiously at Fina, and then looked to the tavern manager. “Is this true?” Aika turned and glared at the manager, who went a shade paler.

“They...they stopped them.” The man quickly agreed. “I didn’t know women could fight like that.”

“We can take care of ourselves.” Aika explained coldly. “Now, about our reward…?”

 

***

  
  


_ The Calm Sands Inn _

_ 86 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Evening _

  
  


News had spread fast about a group of Black Pirate ruffians laid low by a pair of  _ serving girls _ at the local pub, and by the time that they finished their shift and made their way back to their temporary home, Fatima was waiting outside the front door of the inn with something less than a full scowl. She’d yelled at the both of them about the need to be more careful, then scooted them inside and fed them a meal of succulents and a cooling yogurt-based lamb dish and oven-baked flatbread. She didn’t praise them, or ask what they were  _ thinking _ taking on a group of Baltor’s men on shore leave. Mentioning Clara’s name had apparently convinced the older woman that Aika and Fina could take care of themselves well enough in a pinch.

Heading back into the cool darkness of their room after the mess of the day was a welcome relief to Aika. The sack of money that they had been given as a reward for the capture of Baltor’s crew had been expelled by Cupil onto Fina’s mostly unused bed, and she counted it up for a second time just to confirm the amount.

“Twelve hundred gold.” She said, satisfied with the tally. The coins were slid back into the purse and then slid underneath the floorboards, next to the Moon Crystals. Fina made a happy noise as she wandered in from the bathroom, her damp hair hanging around her head like a halo. 

“You fought him before, right?”

“In a ship battle. We never met face to face.” Aika agreed. “He must be causing trouble again, if his crew is worth this much.”

“So where are we now, then?”

“With the reward money...Around 4200 gold pieces.” Aika hummed. 

“...We still have more to earn.” Fina murmured, not quite wincing. She tried to sound cheerful, though. Optimist that she was. “But the manager at the tavern is raising our salaries. That will help.”

“He didn’t know he was paying for a couple of waitresses who could also work as bouncers.” Aika chuckled. “If we keep at it, we might just be able to get the money we need in two weeks. Maybe less, if we get really good tips. That doesn’t cover the money for the supplies we’d need to outfit our ship.”

“It’s going to happen, Aika.” Fina promised. “We’re going to buy a new ship. We’re going to find Vyse.”

Aika felt a lump rise up and stick in her throat, and set the floorboard back into position, resecuring it.  _ And what do we do when we find him? What do I even say to him? _

“I...I’m going to wash up.” Aika said faintly, standing back up and retrieving her nightgown. Leaving her boots and satchel underneath the bed, she checked their door and made sure it was locked before moving to the bathroom.

She could feel Fina’s eyes on her the entire time she was moving around, but the Silvite never said anything. Fina was like that. She spoke up when she had a question, or something to contribute, but usually, she kept her opinions to herself. She was never not thinking, though. There had to be a lot that Fina wasn’t saying.

Aika washed her clothes out and scrubbed her body with a soapy washtowel and did her best to think about the task, and about work, rather than whatever unspoken words were running through her friend’s mind. If it was disappointment…If she was…

She had heated the water for her clothes and to get cleaned up, but Aika let it run cold as she soaked in the tub, letting the water leech the heat of the day out of her.

What could she say to Vyse if they were lucky enough to actually find him, like Fina kept promising they would? And Fina...Fina, who had suggested that maybe Vyse had a heart big enough for both of them, did she actually  _ understand _ what she was saying? Vyse loved them both? Wanted to be with them both? How could it ever be fair? Could a life spent holding only half of his heart, with the other half in Fina’s warm arms, mean anything? How would it ever  _ work _ , when Aika knew that there would always be a doubt lingering in her mind about who he loved more? And if Vyse decided to make Fina his wife...Could she stand just being his  _ mistress _ ? The woman he fucked on the side when he got bored? 

It hurt to think about, but what hurt her more was that she would probably go along with it. She had  _ said _ she worried about making Fina the mistress in whatever screwed up relationship Vyse had in mind, but she knew otherwise. Fina was everything that Vyse would ever want in a proper wife. Beautiful, demure, strong when she had to be, emotionally stable.

Not like she was. Athletic, a tomboy with ratty red hair, an emotional wreck that bounced between anger and joy and sadness on a copper, and a bust that didn’t stack up to Fina’s. 

She cried silently in the cold water of the tub, pulling her knees up to her chest and rocking back and forth. 

Vyse would marry Fina, and make her the mistress, and she would let him. She was lost. She couldn’t hate Fina, and she loved Vyse beyond reason. She loved him enough that she knew she would accept that miserable state of reality, because having even a little bit of him would be better than nothing. It would kill her a little bit every day, a knife slowly being dug into her heart as Fina had his children and she was left with his  _ bastards _ , but she would do it with a smile, cling to him like she almost had in Ixa’taka, whisper his name in his ear while he groaned  _ Fina _ into hers. 

The sound of Fina knocking on the bedroom door made her jerk up and splash the water loudly, and afraid that the other girl might walk in, she turned her head away from the door and quickly splashed water in her face to hide her tears. 

“Aika?” Fina’s voice came through worriedly. “Are you okay? You’ve been in there an awfully long time.”

“Yeah. Sorry, I...I nodded off for a bit.” Aika coughed to hide the rasp in her voice. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” She forced her legs to work again and stood up, water running off of her body as she reached for a towel. “I’ll be out in a bit. Okay, Fina?”

“...okay.” The Silvite retreated, and Aika quickly finished up.

 

When she walked out of the bathroom, the sun had gone down completely, and only the light from the partially opened wooden shutters from the stars and the glowing red moon overhead gave any illumination to the room’s interior. The candle at their desk was down to a stub of tallow, exhausted.

“We need to buy a new candle tomorrow, I take it.” Aika said into the dark of the room. She could see the outline of Fina, sitting on the edge of her bed in the nightdress that Clara had given to her, a sheer garment of white satin that was perfect for the heat of the lands under the red moon. She must have been leaning back away from the light, because the Silvite’s face and hair were hidden.

Fina didn’t respond to the question, but she wasn’t quiet, either. 

“Are you okay, Aika?” Fina asked her, and there was that thin line of strength in her voice. 

Aika mustered up a weak laugh. “Yeah, I’m fine, Fina, I’m just…”

“No, you’re  _ not _ fine.” Fina cut her off, and she moved slightly in the dim light, turning just a bit towards her. “I’m tired of you lying to yourself. You don’t think I don’t see how all of this is eating you from the inside out?”

“We’ll be okay, Fina.” Aika said, stumbling a bit as she tried to regain her footing. “We’re earning good money now. A few weeks, we’ll have our ship and the supplies for it, and...and we can...We’ll  _ find him _ .”

“And then after that?” Fina demanded crisply. “ _ When _ we find him, what happens then? Because you’re not okay with what he said. You cried after we woke up on Clara’s ship. I had thought it was just that you missed him, but it’s more than that. You haven’t dealt with what’s really bothering you.”

“Yes, I have.” Aika insisted, and stepped into the space between their beds, where the moonlight from the window shone on her, and left Fina still in the shadows. “However Vyse feels, it doesn’t change us. We’re still friends, you told me that. Okay?”

“You don’t think I know what a woman crying when she’s alone and then hiding it looks like?” Fina countered quietly. She stood up and stepped into the faint moonlight as well, with just a little bit of space between them. 

Aika’s breath caught when she realized that Fina had been crying as well. The tracks down her cheeks couldn’t be anything else. 

“You were probably sitting in that tub, spiraling into depression. Thinking that you were worth  _ less _ than I was. That he would choose me  _ above _ you. And I’m not going to let you do that to yourself. I can’t. I did it to myself enough when I was a girl, and I won’t have you falling into the same trap. Not here. Not because of this.”

Aika swallowed, and felt her own tears coming up again. “How did you know? Why were you crying?”

“This wasn’t supposed to be my mission.” Fina chewed on her lip and smiled sadly. “Me being here was nothing but a desperate measure. All my life, I was told that I wasn’t good enough. That I wasn’t like  _ him _ , that nothing I did would matter. All my life I  _ choked on it _ , crying in the dark, until you and Vyse stumbled into my life. The two of you made me start to believe that I mattered. That I was stronger than I knew. You two gave me something to fight for, and helped me find my strength.” She reached a hand out and cupped Aika’s cheek. “So believe me, Aika. When I say that you  _ are _ good enough? That Vyse won’t pick either of us over the other? I mean it. And whatever he does decide, it doesn’t change us.”

Aika shut her eyes and stifled a sob as the girl’s thumb came up and brushed her tears away. She stood there for a few seconds, then pulled away from her hand and turned around.

“I can’t be weak like this. I have to be  _ strong _ . That’s who I am, right? The strong girl, the reliable one, the dependable one? I have to be the leader because he’s not here. I have to make the plans, keep up a brave face.”

“Nobody can be that strong. Not all the time.” Fina reassured her, and her bare feet creaked on the wooden floor a little as she stepped behind Aika and wrapped her arms loosely around her midsection. Aika felt her lean her head against her upper back and neck. “But you don’t have to be. Out there? Around everyone else? Be who you need to be. But at night, when it’s just us? You can let go of it. You can let me pick up the burden, Aika. Let me be the one to save  _ you _ .”

Maybe she had been just waiting for permission all of this time, Aika thought. Because at those pleading words from her dearest friend after Vyse, she felt herself  _ collapse _ . The tears came faster than she could stop them, and she cried out almost silently, only the occasional gasp piercing the silence. She felt herself sink back against Fina, and cried all the more, grateful that the girl was there to hold her up.

“I’m so  _ afraid _ .” Aika managed, when she could speak again. “I’m afraid that we won’t find him. I’m afraid that we will find him, and that he’ll end up despising me, that he’ll marry you and screw me on the side, that when he does take me, he’ll whisper  _ your name _ instead of mine…”

“We  _ will _ find him.” Fina promised, kissing the back of her neck. “And he  _ won’t _ . His heart is big enough for two people, Aika, big enough for the both of us equally. I know that everything will be all right.”

“How?” Aika cried weakly. “How do you know?”

“He’s a Blue Rogue. And so are you.” Came the Silvite’s warm response. “When have  _ either _ of you ever given up?”

They hadn’t, Aika knew. Because Blue Rogues didn’t give up. Ever. 

Grounded in the code, Aika’s crying jags finally began to ease off. She calmed down, worn out and empty. 

“Hell of a low point.” She mused into the dark.

“Nowhere to go but back up, then.” Fina suggested warmly. It made Aika laugh.

Bless the girl.

“I am so glad that you’re here.” Aika confessed, and brought a hand up, covering Fina’s as it sat on her stomach. “If I didn’t have you here, Fina, if I was all alone, I don’t know what I would do.”

“I don’t know what I would do either.” Fina replied, and kissed her neck again. 

But this time, Fina didn’t pull away. Her lips lingered against Aika’s skin. She didn’t kiss her forehead or the back of her neck quickly like she would do before they went to bed. In a steady progression that left Aika shivering, the Silvite standing behind her started at the back of her neck, then moved to kiss the base of it, then went down to where her neck met her left shoulder...and while Aika trembled from the frission of those building sensations, Fina gently pulled on the sleeve of her nightdress, tugging the garment down enough to expose her shoulder, where she kissed the curve of her deltoid as well.

It was enough to make Aika draw in a ragged, shaking breath. Enough to make Fina’s lips go still at last, even as her arms already around Aika’s waist dipped down a bit, and the Silvite’s hands palmed her abdomen and rubbed over her navel gently, silk over skin.

“...Fina?” She heard herself say.

And then Fina let go of her, allowing Aika to turn around so she could stare at the girl she only beat out in height by an inch. Fina’s blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight streaming through the window. Aika’s voice caught in her throat again. In those eyes, she could suddenly see so much meaning.

All of the unspoken words were there, and it left her frozen.

“Do you remember...back in the Southern Ocean, I told you to save your third question?” Fina mused huskily. “You might want to use it now.”

And Aika could see the question in her mind, ringing out as clearly as anything. But she was suddenly afraid to, because...Oh, fool,  _ fool _ girl that she was...if Fina...If she…

Fina licked her lips, never blinking. Never looking away. “Say it.” She demanded, in a whisper barely loud enough to echo over the thrum of Aika’s heartbeat in her ears.

“What....” Aika started, and this time, her mouth wasn’t dry. Her mouth watered as she looked at Fina, who stared up at her with...Like she was  _ more _ …

“What am I to you?” Aika finally got the words out. And knew instantly that for once, she had asked the right question at the right time...in the right place.

Because Fina smiled at her then, and it was a smile that made everything in the world seem right. The Silvite leaned in, tilted her head just the  _ smallest bit _ , and…

And Aika closed her eyes, felt a huff of breath against her mouth, parted her lips slightly…

And then…

**_Yes._ **

Seconds later, minutes later, as Aika shuddered for air and Fina pulled away, she came back to herself and saw Fina smiling at her, while her blood, as warm as when Vyse had been kissing her, surged through her and left an unmistakable longing ache everywhere. 

“You are my friend. And you are more than just a friend.” Fina said, and she ran a hand down Aika’s arm, along her exposed shoulder, to her elbow, before squeezing her hand. “I told you. Vyse’s heart  _ can _ be big enough for both us. Because mine is.”

“Me? And Vyse?” Aika stammered. “Together?”

Fina smiled. “Moons willing. I understand that among your people, it’s...it’s a different idea. But I was taught that love is love. Wherever you find it, it’s precious.”

Fina brought her other hand up, cupped it around Aika’s neck. “Vyse loves you. And I love you. And we both want to be with you. I’m not a substitute for him, no more than he would...would be a substitute for me.” And there, Fina hesitated at last. A small sliver of doubt took hold in her perfect azure eyes. “But, how _we_ _feel_ about you, and how _you_ feel about _us..._ about _me_ …”

Aika’s mind raced, because for once, there wasn’t a clear answer. This wasn’t an engine to be fixed, or an opponent to be attacked. It was a question between her heart and her head. And Fina was giving her an out. She was giving her an in.

To love Vyse. To love Fina. 

To love the both of them. To love neither.

Really, what good were words? Now, in the pale glow of the moonlight? What could words say that their eyes, their hands, their lips couldn’t say a hundred times better? Not for the first time, Aika marveled at how wise Fina really was.

She brought a hand up to Fina’s face, cupped her cheek, and rubbed at the Silvite’s moistened lips with the side of her thumb. Fina parted her lips, drew it into her mouth, and sucked on it gently. Aika shivered, and lowered her hand down, moving slow enough to give the girl time to see it coming, time enough to stop her, to refuse, to step away. 

But Fina didn’t, even as her breathing deepened, and her chest swelled out with every inhale. And then Aika’s palm was pressed into the softest thing she had ever felt in her life, with a diamond hard point jutting into the center through the gown’s sheer fabric.

It was the gentlest of whimpers, and Aika squeezed Fina softly in response. Then Fina’s hand around her neck moved to the front of her nightgown, to the drawstring. Aika let her pull it, let it fall away, reached for the one on Fina’s, watched with burning eyes as the thin fabric slid over the whole of her body before pooling on the floor around her feet.

Their mouths found another, and Fina pushed Aika back, urging her to the bed, where they collapsed onto it and gave into the pulse of need between them.

In the dark, two women who loved the same man saw one another for who they really were at last, and discovered that love didn’t have a limit. They were Aika and Fina. They were friends, and lovers, and battle sisters, and comrades. They were themselves.

They simply  _ were _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, buying a ship is expensive. And we're left to believe that Aika and Fina earn enough being WAITRESSES in around two weeks to get their own vessel when the stated amount in the game is 10,000 gold before provisioning? Yeaaah, NO. Major interference is required to get them moving forward. Luckily...bouncers earn more than waitresses. And reward money's always good to have.
> 
> Oh, yeah, and the girls are a thing now. I apologize for nothing. They are what they are...and recall the story tag.  
> "We Don't Need Labels."


	17. No Man Is An Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vyse goes mad on a deserted island, haunted by visions of the women he loves, and worries that he doesn't deserve them...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Seventeen: No Man Is An Island**

  
  


_ (??) Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Unknown Island, Skies of the Red Moon _

  
  


Vyse was alone.

His head ached and he could feel from a clump of matted hair that somewhere along the line, he’d suffered a blow to his skull and been knocked unconscious. After being shoved out of the  _ Little Jack _ on the tiny lifeboat, Vyse had…

He rolled over onto his back, groaning as he stared up at a peerless blue sky. The Valuans had  _ fired on him _ . They had fired on a damn lifeboat! 

Something else to add to the litany of sins against the Empire. He checked himself over, and concussion aside, he seemed in one piece. Nothing felt broken. There was only a little bit of dizziness when he sat up, but he found himself on the edge of a small pond full of clear rainwater. A long drink helped much of his exhaustion, and after checking to see what he had for possessions (Swords, coinpurse, sailor’s journal), he made his way up to the closest high point for a better look at the island.

It was impressive, with its most noticeable feature being a high mountain that sloped up along the backside of the island, like a bowl tipped on its side. To the Blue Rogue’s relief, there were trees, there was water...There was  _ life _ . 

It still didn’t make up for the fact he was marooned.

“Panic later.” Vyse told himself. His head was still buzzing a little, and he dug out the last bit of trail rations he kept stowed away in his uniform. One of dad’s life lessons; Always keep some of the necessities on your person. Bags could be taken away.

Like Aika’s satchel. The girls had been holding on to the Moon Crystals.

 

**_I love you both._ **

“Wonderful.” He groaned and drew a hand across his face. His last words to them, and…

Moons, they were going to hate him after they got out of this mess. They might already hate him.  He only hoped they’d done better than he had. 

“No point in standing around.” He growled out, and finished his meal. There was work to be done.

 

***

 

He wasn’t alone on the island. Or, at least, someone else had been stranded here before him. It had been a sailor named Gonzales, according to the scraps of writing kept within a natural cave at the base of the island’s mountain. It had taken him the rest of the day, but he’d given the man’s skeleton a proper burial outside. For a reward, he had a scrap of what looked to be a vellum treasure map that the man had been holding on to...and the man’s campsite inside of the cave. Out of the elements, away from the wildlife. Marks on the cave walls had shown Vyse just how long the man had been stranded before he finally expired. Too long. 

Vyse pulled out his backup cutlass and infused the moonstone core in the blade with his spiritual energy, just enough to sharpen the edge so it wouldn’t dull as he carved a mark into the wall opposite of Gonzales’ tally. 

“Well, old man. Here’s hoping I’m not stuck here as long as you were.” He stowed his blade and stepped back from the wall, smiling sadly. “But thank you for giving me someplace safe to rest.” He hoped that giving the man a proper burial would soothe his spirit.

With only the dim light from his moonstone-infused goggle to light up the small cave dwelling, Vyse unlaced his boots and set them down beside the bed. His naval coat came next, then his leggings, until he was down to his smallclothes. 

The bed wasn’t anything to write home about, just dried reeds and grasses over a stone slab with a threadbare blanket to serve as a mattress cover. But Vyse had slept in worse, he reminded himself. He’d eventually gotten comfortable in a hammock. He’d get used to this as well. 

There were a dozen things yet to attend to, and when he woke tomorrow, the first would be finding sustenance.  His mind trailed through more of his father’s old lessons on foraging and hunting, some of which he’d used during their time in Ixa’taka. Others which, while rustier, he’d have to brush off again.

But he would stay alive. He’d have to. Drachma...The old man was probably lost. His ship had been a burning mess when he’d shoved Vyse out of the back, being dragged along behind Rhaknam at the mercy of the arcwhale and the tempest it kicked up in its wake. There was nothing Vyse could do for him.

The girls, though…

He removed his eyepiece and set it down on top of his boots, then disengaged the small glow in the lens. Darkness filled the interior of the cabin, save for a thin sliver of waning daylight from the sunset outside. 

He wondered where they were. He wondered if they’d escaped Valua as well, like he had. The red moon in the sky was a dead giveaway of just how far the storm Rhaknam had conjured up had blown the lifeboat. He wondered if they were as worried about him as he was for them.

He hoped they could forgive him.

 

***

 

_ They were back on Pirate Island, and it was the night before they were going to set sail with Captain Drachma on the  _ Little Jack _ to head for Nasr, and the port of Maramba. To nobody’s surprise, Vyse and Aika had made their way up to the bluff away from the burned down houses since Lookout Point had been blasted apart, and Fina had come along with them. They sat in the sunset, a rushed dinner in their bellies, and the unknown stretched out before them.  _

_ Fina cuddled up against Vyse’s left side, and Aika took his right, and neither seemed willing to move as they lay there in the slightly charred grass.  _

_ “Vyse?” Aika asked him, when the silence got to be thick enough that he felt ready to fall asleep. “What did your mom say?” _

_ “Mom says a lot of things.” He answered with a smile. “You’ll have to be more specific.” _

_ “Before we left, she said something to you, and you got confused.” _

_ “Oh.” Vyse blinked and tried to think about it, but...thinking was  _ **_hard_ ** _ all of a sudden. Like he didn’t want to think. “She...wanted me to take care of you two?” _

_ Aika rolled onto her side and leaned on an elbow, tilting her face over his, and he felt one of her soft breasts push into his chest. She was wearing clothes, but he could feel it perfectly, and he almost groaned. And she knew it, because she smirked at him. So much like a cat, she almost purred. _

_ “So are you?” Aika asked, and her hand came down to the top button of his coat, nudging at his collar. _

_ “Am I what?” He replied huskily.  _

_ And then Fina rolled over on  _ **_her side_ ** _ , and then he had the both of them looking down at him with a hunger his racing heartbeat knew perfectly.  _

_ Their hair was down. It hadn’t been down before, but it was now, and Fina’s veil was gone. The last traces of sunlight shot through their red and blonde hair, waving softly in the breeze and hanging like a curtain, trapping him in place with nothing but their eyes and their smiles pinning him down. _

_ Their laughs made him twitch. Aika snapped the first button open, while Fina’s hand went to his belt, pulling his shirt up until her fingers could graze over his bare stomach. _

_ “Are you going to  _ **_take care of us_ ** _?” Fina teased him. _

_ He didn’t know what to do with his hands. His legs were lead-weighted. Aika laughed again and leaned down, her hands working feverishly over his coat, no longer unbuttoning them, but tearing it open. Fina showed just as little restraint, her delicate fingers unstrapping his belt. His swords and belt pouches fell away and disappeared, and then she was reaching for his breeches, and… _

_ “Or maybe we should take care of  _ **_you_ ** _.” The Silvite hummed, leaning down over his groin.  _

_ “Fina...what are…” _

_ “Shh.” Aika’s hands were suddenly cupped around his face, and she straddled his stomach, resplendently nude with her long red hair coming down and covering her breasts. Moons, his mouth watered for them, and her hair had never been so long. “Let the girl work.” _

_ Behind her, Fina’s voice gave another hum of appreciation as cool air suddenly blew over him, freed from his smallclothes. Vyse let out a strangled cry and bucked up, but she pulled back with a fairy’s titter.  _

_ “He’s eager.” Fina cooed, and hot air blew over his length, making him ache and groan again. “He’s taken good care of his sword.” _

_ Aika’s brown eyes flashed with amusement as Fina sat up behind her, leaning her head on the other girl’s shoulder. She didn’t look back to the Silvite at all, and kept her gaze locked on Vyse. “Then maybe you ought to show him where to sheathe it.” _

_ Moons, he wanted this. He wanted to touch them. To kiss them. To drive into them. To hear them moan, and pant in wanton desire, to scream his name. But his legs wouldn’t move. His arms wouldn’t move. And his head, trapped in Aika’s hands, could not move. _

_ “Shhh.” Aika leaned down over him, a pair of hard diamond nubs rubbing against his chest. “You wanted this. You wanted both of us.” _

_ Behind her, Fina kept on smiling, but her eyes...Vyse blinked, and wondered why her eyes were suddenly so dull. So lifeless. “You love both of us.” She repeated, throwing his own words at him. _

_ “So which is which, I wonder?” Aika murmured, and then her mouth was on his, and her tongue speared into his mouth, taking everything that she wanted. Even his breath. _

_ “Which one does he love as the wife, and which one of us is the whore?” Fina whispered over her shoulder, and then she plunged her hips down, and he screamed... _

 

***

 

_ 2nd Day on the Island _

_ Mid-Morning _

 

There were plenty of Grapors wiggling about, and Vyse had a need to work off all of the energy that his dreams kept leaving him with. He’d woken up screaming, sporting arousal and guilt in equal measure. Grapors made for easy game, having little in the way of offensive capabilities for the wary. It gave him a chance to practice his defense and counterattacks, and by the time he’d built up a sizable pile of the strange florafauna hybrids native to Nasr, he’d sweated clean through all of his clothes. But at least his boiling blood had cooled.

While his skinned and cleaned catch dried and smoked on skewers kept over a low blaze next to the pond, Vyse used his wrecked lifeboat as a makeshift washtub, sinking down into it afterwards with a quick application of Pyri magic to heat it up to a lukewarm temperature.

“Neither of you are.” He whispered, not because there was the risk of being overheard, but because his dream turned nightmare had rattled him so badly. He couldn’t look at either of them as anything  _ less _ than…

They just weren’t. In the end, his mother’s warning had been worthless, because she assumed he would be able to choose. He tried to see them as separate, and couldn’t. They were always together in his mind. Aika and Fina. Fina and Aika. And neither one deserved the label of being…

_ Mistress. Concubine. Whore. _

He would flay himself before that happened. 

**_One problem at a time, Vyse. Size up the situation._ **

“Fine, old man.” He growled at the memory of Dyne’s voice, now that he knew the truth, that Dyne had once flown under a  _ Valuan _ flag. “Lying bastard.” He pulled himself out of the tub, checked to make sure his clothes were still drying, then dumped the bathwater out over the open ground. The clouds hung heavy in the sky; it was going to rain tonight. The small pond he’d been drinking from and using for everything else would be refilled in the morning.

Foodstores...covered, mainly. He’d scrounged up some fruits while he was hunting for Grapors, so he had the basics covered. Water? Covered. Shelter was taken care of, thanks to Gonzales, who would hopefully rest peacefully in his grave. 

That made preparing for a rescue his next priority. There were enough loose stones inside of the caves that he would be able to make a fire pit. And firewood? Plenty of trees. It would be green wood, but that would work best for a signal fire. More smoke.

Worrying about himself didn’t come easy, not when he didn’t know that Aika and Fina were okay. He had to force himself to stay focused. 

 

By the time that his clothes were finally dried off enough to wear, he’d gotten his signal fire started. The stormclouds had grown thicker, and he dressed quickly as thunder rumbled in the distance. He got his mostly dried Grapor meat back inside of the cave before it started raining in earnest, and even then the first drops had sprinkled over him.

Dinner was an unceremonious affair; he drank rainwater and ate cold Grapor meat and nearly ripe Loma fruit, and did his best to ignore the pit in his stomach that had nothing to do with food, and everything to do with the rest of his crew.

 

He carved another notch into the wall and stared at the pair of marks for a bit before walking back to the cave’s bed and slumping onto it. “Two days.” He whispered, digging his fingers around the sheet that covered up the replenished reed and grass mattress. “Please be okay.”

 

***

 

_ 3rd Day on the Island _

 

The rains that had hit his deserted island had done more than replenish the pond; they had also exposed buried red moonstone ore, the product of moonstorms from who knew how long before. And while Vyse was by no means as skilled a mechanic as Aika had become, since he’d chosen to focus on command training under his father, he knew enough of the basics to repair the lifeboat’s small engine and put the ore to work. Unrefined, it wouldn’t have a lot of output, but it was a lifeboat, it didn’t need a lot of oomph. 

Aika could manage it handily. Vyse would need twice the time and three times as many swear words. Between that and the signal fire he still needed to finish building up, there was plenty to keep him occupied.

He just needed to finish his scavenger hunt first. Thankfully, only Grapors lingered on the island, and after his hunting spree yesterday, most were happy to steer clear of him. The ones that weren’t were easy pickings for his counterstrike techniques. Mostly.

“Off!” He snarled as one incredibly brave and stupid got in close enough to squeal and wrap around his midsection, making his cutlasses next to useless. With no better option left to him, he channeled up a yellow magic spell and ran the current through himself, and the thing shrieked from the jolt and jumped clear. He hurled an arc of spirit energy from his blade and cut it cleanly in half, then sunk down onto his knees, breathing hard.

“Damnit.” He panted, wishing that the girls were here with him. If for nothing else, for the fact that Aika’s satchel contained the bulk of their adventuring supplies. What he wouldn’t give for a Sacri crystal right about now. He settled for a healing spell, calling on his limited reservoir of magic. It was made all the harder by the fact that he sat underneath the red moon, green’s opposite, and his green magic was nowhere near as advanced as the girls’ were.

When he looked down and opened his eyes, he blinked to see the hint of a gleaming red chunk of moonstone ore near to one knee. He would have missed it if exhaustion hadn’t gotten the better of him.

“Next you’re going to tell me that it’s a good thing monsters keep attacking me.” He snarled to nobody in particular. He knew one voice had been thinking it, and he didn’t care which. He just wanted them to leave him alone.

 

That night, he drew a third notch onto the cave wall.

 

***

 

_ He never left the island. The girls never found him. Nasrad fell. He saw them trapped in the Valuan wastelands, struggling to go unseen and find a ship.  _

_ He saw them in Nasrad when it fell, saw them captured, and the quest failed and Valua rise with the Red and Green Moon Crystals, and the world burn.  _

_ He saw them struggle to reach civilization, only to be kidnapped as unwilling concubines, the light slowly draining from their eyes while they were abused and taken, dying a little every day. _

_ He saw them survive and make their way back to home, saw Fina retreat back to her people while Aika became a Blue Rogue captain in her own right, and fought against Valua on her own. She drew strength from her loneliness, became a terror beyond even Dyne’s reputation, and drove the fear of oblivion into the Empire. And she fought them for years, united a coalition that spanned the breadth of Ixa’taka to the ruins of Nasr, and under the banner of the Blue Rogues, destroyed the Empire and saw Galcian and the Empress executed in their own foul arena, their bodies tossed into the sewers afterwards to the roar of the masses. And after all was done, Aika faded away from prominence. Lesser Blue Rogues, deputies and captains and allies of convenience, separated apart and returned back to their homes and started over. And Aika climbed aboard her ship and sailed off into the wilderness north of New Nasrad and east of Valua’s mainland, and searched for him. She searched for the rest of her life and never found him. _

_ He saw Aika breathe her last defending Fina from a world too harsh and undeserving of the Silvite’s grace and warmth, and watched as Fina emerged like a phoenix, wrapping herself in grief and vendetta like Drachma had, using the spiritual powers she so rarely called on in increasing measure, emerging as a living deity descended from the Moons. He watched as Fina, her heart hardened by loss, assumed the mantle of someone beyond even an empress, saw how merchant captains and Blue Rogues and Black Pirates alike fell to their knees in supplication or were forced down onto them for beheadings, each gruesome death carried out by Cupil, who had taken on the shape of a terrible sword gleaming with silver moonlight. She became the Moon Goddess, the arbiter of life and death, and she was loved in wild frenzy by those of her followers, for one either worshipped the goddess or was destroyed by her. _

_ In every one of those nightmares, he wasn’t there. He  _ **_wasn’t there_ ** _ … _

 

***

 

_ 12th Day on the Island _

  
  


“I know.”  _ Chop. _ “Moons, back off, I  **know** .”  _ Hack. _

Vyse snarled at nobody and everybody as he steadily pruned off the branches from his latest bit of lumber. After struggling to get a single tree up the embankment at the island’s far end for the signal fire, he’d spent days putting the small lifeboat back to rights instead. It meant he had the use of it for shuttling supplies around the island, which made his life considerably easier in the long run. Hauling firewood and Grapor meat worked a lot better with a ship.

He finished hacking the trunk into manageable chunks after another half hour, then stepped back and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. He’d given up wearing anything thicker than his undershirt most of the time, and it was solidly drenched. Vyse hopped into the boat next to the pile of lumber and flew the ship at its puttering speed over to his signal fire and started offloading it as quickly as he could. He restacked the pile, checked to make sure the lighter fire was still burning as embers, and replenished the kindling amidst the mixture of dry and wet wood. 

 

He was as worn out as ever when he finally returned to his cave. The Blue Rogue paused by Gonzales’ grave marker and ran his hand over the surface to greet the fellow, then went inside and put another mark on the wall.

Under the light of a small dry-fired blaze, Vyse took out his journal and stared at the last entry. He held it for several seconds, then sighed and turned the page and started another log entry.

 

_ “It’s now the twelfth day I’ve been stranded on this island. Supplies are holding, and there is ample water and firewood. What I lack most right now is… _

His graphite stick paused on the page.

“You’re even lying to a Moons-damned  _ journal _ now.” He said. “Brilliant, Vyse.” When his pencil started moving again, it moved faster, as quickly as it could keep up with his mind.

_ Every night, I have a different dream. Some are nightmares. Some are wonderful dreams that turn sour. In every one of them, I see them. I wake up screaming their names, reaching for them. _

_ I don’t know if I’ll ever get off of this blasted island. Gonzales didn’t. He lived here, and he died here. I know I could die; I’m a Blue Rogue, it’s a risk I take every day. It’s a risk I’ve wagered sailing into the unknown.  _

_ I worry about you two. Aika, Fina, I hope you’re both all right. I hope you know how much you both mean to me, that neither one of you is  _ **_less_ ** _ than the other. I hurt you, Aika. I hurt the both of you, but… _

_ If I could do it again, I wouldn’t have the heart to refuse you. I felt like such an ass. I wanted it. I  _ **_wanted you_ ** _ , and… _

_ I dream about you. I dream about Fina. I dream about you separately, and together.  _

_ I scream because I don’t know if everything is lost and Valua has won, or if there is still hope. I cry because I don’t know if the two of you are alive, or if the storm took you and I’m even more alone than I am already. _

_ I meant what I said. I love you both. I know it’s wrong. I know it can never be.  _

_ If I get out of this, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to find you two again. To apologize. To make it up to you, or to get you to safety and...walk away… _

_ Or maybe I’ll never get off this island, and you’ll spend the rest of your life looking for me. I don’t know if I’m worth it, though. How can I be?  _

_ I know it’s wrong, and it’s immoral, and it goes against everything we were ever raised to believe about love. It’s why I tried to hide it for so long. But I can’t. _

_ Forgive me, Aika. Forgive me, Fina. You deserved so much more. _

He wondered why the graphite writing was smudged at the end, until he saw his tears dropping down on the page. He snapped the journal shut and pushed it away, and let himself cry.

There was nobody around to judge him for being weak now.

 

***

 

_ 14th Day on the Island _

_ 94 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


And then, 2 weeks after he arrived, Vyse was rescued. A passing ship got close enough to be seen with the naked eye, and after Vyse’s signal pyre started smoking up a storm, the ship fired a cannonball to acknowledge his presence and altered course to make for his island. Vyse shed happy tears and raced to reclaim his uniform, hoping that the sleek vessel, which looked like a blockade runner or modified cutter, would be friendly to him. If they turned out to be Black Pirates more interested in his head, however, he’d fight through them. He’d taken on worse odds. 

Fortune won out, thankfully. The ship was called  _ The Claudia _ , and its captain was a man named Gilder; not a Blue Rogue, but not a Black Pirate either, someone who operated in the nebulous realm in between. He didn’t live by a Code, but he preferred to go after Valuan targets.

“I love the mission you Blue Rogues have for yourself, but come on, kid.” Gilder said, when he wasn’t laughing his head off at Vyse’s retelling of the events that had brought him there. He’d given Vyse a good enough look at recent events for Vyse to start noting what day it actually was again, as a part of the retelling. “We’re all  _ pirates _ . Who needs all the extra rules?”

Vyse himself looked a mess, but his blue coat had somehow weathered his exile in good shape. He  _ inhaled _ the food and drink that Gilder put in front of him, his body screaming for more meaningful fare after what he’d been able to get on the island began to make him lose his sense of taste. “The Code of the Blue Rogues acts as a guide. It gives our actions, our decisions, weight.” Which was how his father had always explained it. His father, who had never bothered to explain  _ who he really was. _ Vyse paused with the glass of watered down ale halfway to his lips and conceded an amendment. “Of course, it doesn’t have all the answers. It probably needs a few additions.”

 

“That’s the trouble with rules, kid.” Gilder chuckled, taking another sip of his own wine. On his shoulder, a green parrot named ‘Willy’ fluffed up his feathers and cocked his head to the side, still measuring Vyse up. “You either have too many of them, or too few. That’s why I never signed on. I work with Blue Rogues on occasion, though, so you can relax. My boys and I can fix you up. Especially given your successes. We need you back out there in the fight, keeping the Valuans from going nuts.”

“Not without my gir...my crew.” Vyse said, biting back the last word and hastily replacing it. “The reason I’m such a success is because I don’t work alone.”

“Any idea where they might have ended up?” Gilder asked, with less flair than before. 

“No definite ideas. Just bad ones.” Vyse muttered. “Though, given how Rhaknam’s storm blew me all the way out here, I’m hopeful that it did the same for them. And with any luck, they were rescued. Sooner than I was.”

“Stranger things have been known to happen.” Gilder raised up his wineglass and toasted him. Vyse took it for the reassurance it was meant as and smiled back, then looked around Gilder’s cabin a little more closely. The walls were covered with portraits of beautiful women, not a one of them looking a day under thirty. 

“You have an...interesting taste in decorations.” 

“Ah, my women of the walls?” Gilder grinned. “I’m a suave, handsome, dashing rogue of an air pirate. I can’t help but stumble across them. If they catch my eye and my attentions, I have them sit for a portrait. After we’ve had our fun, I bid farewell to them as I head out of port, and have another warm memory to add to my collection.” Vyse felt the world tip sideways as he swept the room, looking at the dozens of portraits. A sick, gnawing feeling curled up in his belly.

“You just... _ use _ them? Lie to them?” He forced out. 

Gilder cocked his head a bit. “Now, hold on a second there. Don’t go making aspersions against me. I never lie to them. I don’t promise them anything more than a night, or maybe a few days of fun and thrilling company. Eventually, I’d get bored with them, or they’d learn to hate me. Women are like sunsets, Vyse. They’re beautiful, but there’ll be a different one tomorrow.”

 

Vyse ran that line through his head, and immediately thought of Aika and Fina.

He thought of Admiral Belleza, who had offered herself up as a one-night fling back when she’d been in the guise of a Nasrian belly dancer with a ship and a desire to help them. He thought of all the women he’d met since, and tried to apply that logic to them.

It never worked. He always came back to Aika and Fina, who were so much more than a pretty face and a few lines. And he saw nothing but shallowness in Gilder’s vaunted ethic.

“I’m amazed that there’s a woman who would put up with you.” Vyse finally answered. For once, he didn’t feel like being polite about the topic to get on someone’s good side. “Whatever you think you’re sharing with them, it isn’t love. It’s empty.”

Gilder leaned back into his couch a little more, taken aback at Vyse’s direct tone. “Ouch. Did I hit a nerve there, Blue Rogue?”

Vyse bit his lip. “You did. Have you ever loved  _ any _ of the women you’ve slept with?”

“Several times, usually.” Gilder said, sounding amused again. “But I assume you’re asking...well, in that case, Vyse, no. We’re Air Pirates. It’s not exactly a stable career. If I’m not sure if I’ll be around in a week or a month from now, what good does it do me to try and hold on to something long-term? It’s more trouble than it’s worth!” He shivered a bit. 

“You remember their names, though. You remember their faces.”

“Keeps me warm at night.” Gilder chuckled, making a crude gesture with his hand. Vyse rolled his eyes.

“You named your ship  _ Claudia _ , though. Was she a woman who meant more?”

“She’s not a woman, she’s a  _ ship _ .” Gilder snorted. “And she means more to me than any woman I’ve ever known. The day I find a Claudia out there, I’ll turn around and walk away.”

Vyse sighed. “I just don’t understand why you’re so afraid of  _ trying _ for a more serious relationship.”

“Why were you?” Gilder countered, and Vyse froze up again. Gilder pressed on, squinting through his pince-nez glasses. “I couldn’t miss how your eyes lit up when you started talking about the two girls on your crew. For as much as you’re getting on my case about being a coward in love, did you ever make a move yourself?”

Vyse shut his eyes. “No. I didn’t.”

“Couldn’t decide which one you wanted more then?” Gilder asked.

The laugh was instinctive, short, and sad. Gilder got close to it, close enough Vyse could answer truthfully and still leave him short of the whole picture. 

“I really couldn’t.”

 

***

 

_ Nasrad, Capital of Nasr _

_ The Calm Sands Inn _

_ 96 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

 

Aika sighed with welcome fatigue inside of their room, glancing at herself in the mirror for any last minute adjustments. While Fina had taken the morning shift, she’d made her way down to the port after some final arrangements at the Sailor’s Guild to meet with the owner of the small vessel that she and Fina had decided on. The haggling had gone on for fully half an hour, with the owner talking the ship up and Aika tearing it down with her sharp engineer’s eye for flaws. The final number they had decided on ended up being a thousand gold pieces less than his listed asking price, in part because the fellow was in somewhat of a hurry to make the deal and return to Maramba. They’d sealed with a spit-soaked handshake (Nasrian bargainer’s style, Aika had learned, revolved around the giving of water to show one’s truthfulness) and then she’d had enough time afterwards to ask around the docks and make arrangements for supplies to be delivered the following day before they set out.

The entire process had eaten through her free time, and she’d managed a quick kebab before racing back to get cleaned up again. She would have loved to have a nap as well, but...needs must, and it was their last day of work. She didn’t need the tips, they had enough to pay off Fatima as well as their other debts, but the extra money could come in handy later.

The sound of footsteps outside of her door had Aika freezing and then reaching for her boomerang, but the sound of a key being slid into the lock and a very familiar, feminine sigh relaxed her immediately.

Fina came inside, looking worn out but in a good mood. She carried a bag that smelled of the spicy kabal skewers famous in Nasrian cuisine, and a metal bottle slick with moisture on its surface; something cold to drink. She caught Aika watching her, and melted into a warm and affectionate smile.

“Hello, Aika.”

“Hey, Princess.” Aika replied, marveling at how different the nickname sounded when there was no venom behind it. Now it was just an endearment, one that let the Silvite know exactly how treasured she was. She got up and waited as Fina closed the door, walked over to the room’s small table and set her lunch down, then strolled over and pulled her in for a soft hug and a long kiss. “You okay?”

“I’m relieved today was my last day.” Fina confessed. “The morning crowd was very sad to see me go.” She reached to the coinpurse at her waist and gave it a gentle shake. “They tipped well, and wished us the best.” 

Aika smirked and hummed a little as Fina rested her head on her shoulder. “I had a busy morning myself. We’ve got a ship.” That made Fina’s head come right back up again, and the Silvite’s blue eyes gazed right into her own.

“Really? It’s done?”

“A thousand less than what he was asking. I’ve got some crazy bargaining skills, babe.”

Fina’s eyes danced with mirth. “Hm. You do at that. You talked me into trying out that new position last night, after all.”

Aika blushed at the memory, which had been incredibly enjoyable. “You liked it.”

“I did. I am curious where you learned it, though.”

Doing her best not to think of the rest of the gossip she’d overheard from a pair of belly dancers who’d come in for a drink on her solo shift a few days ago, Aika shook her head. “Amazing what you pick up in a port city.” She pulled her arms free of Fina and went on. “We’ve also got the supplies for our trip on order. As soon as we get paid tomorrow and settle up our bills, we’ll have a ship and everything we’ll need to get outfitted waiting for us. And then…”

Fina’s grin widened. “And then we go and find Vyse.”

“Damn right we will, Princess.” Aika promised. “And this time, I’m not letting him get away from us.”

“Good.” Fina hummed. “When we were separated, it was still eating him apart, trying to sort out how he felt about us. We can save him. Because it’s not wrong, how he feels.”

And Aika had to close her eyes and reflect on that. She’d been as lost as Vyse had been, up until Fina had made her own feelings clear. She loved Vyse, but she loved Fina as well. And Fina loved both of them, just as Vyse loved her and Fina. And it was okay. It was different from what she’d been taught about love, but  _ different _ didn’t mean  _ wrong _ . 

“He can love us both. It’s not wrong.” Aika mused happily. “It’s  _ right _ .” She missed him terribly. She was running on the hope of finding him, rescuing him. Showing him just how much she loved him. Making up for all the wasted time. She should have told him she loved him when they had left for Valua after Fina. She should have told him when they turned 16.

She would tell him now, and be doubly blessed to have two people in her life that wanted to be with her through everything that might come their way.

 

Aika opened her eyes when Fina’s arms wrapped around her again, and shivered as the Silvite began nibbling on the side of her neck and slid a pair of dextrous fingers past her waist. “Ah! Fina, I...I can’t…” She stammered, squirming a bit under the other girl’s skilled touch. “My shift, my shift starts in an hour.”

Fina hummed playfully, pulled away from her neck and the hickey she’d left there to lick at her earlobe. “I told them you were sick already.”

“Wuh...what?” Aika let out a muffled whimper as Fina’s roaming fingers slipped into her cleft.

“I figured either you’d need the day to put yourself back together or...we’d be busy.”

To the abyss with it all. Aika grabbed at Fina’s wrist and pulled her free before whirling about and sinking her hands into the Silvite’s blond hair. “Well.” Aika purred. “I suppose I do feel a little warm…”

It was their last night in Nasrad, and Aika sang the girl’s praises as they fell into each other. And by the time they finished, Fina’s kabal skewers had gone cold and the lemonade had turned warm. 

Fina didn’t mind in the slightest.

 

***

 

_ 97 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Nasrad _

  
  


The  _ Claudia _ had been two hours out from Nasrad when they had been intercepted by a ship that meant them no harm, but which Captain Gilder preferred to avoid at all costs. “Clara.” He muttered with a grimace as he then shouted the orders to his crew to implement a plan that they seemed all too familiar with. “Come on, Vyse! You and me are headed for the captain’s launch! We’ll go one way and the  _ Claudia _ will go the other, taking Clara and her all-female crew of swooning lunatics clear of us!”

“Why in blazes are we running if she doesn’t want to hurt you?!” Vyse snapped, keeping on his heels.

“She wants to  _ marry me _ , kid! It doesn’t get much more harmful than that!” Gilder replied, skipping steps as they headed down to the stern launch bay. Vyse stumbled a bit, but kept up with him, and sure enough, once the launch was clear and hidden in a cloud bank, the  _ Claudia _ turned and fled, leading the  _ Primrose _ north, away from Gilder who sank into his seat. “Unbelievable. We had  _ one date _ , and then Calamity Clara decides I’m the man she’s destined to be with.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Vyse asked. Gilder stared at him as if he’d grown a second head. Vyse shrugged. “You said you were afraid of commitment because it wouldn’t be right letting them worry about whether or not they’d ever see you again. But this ‘Calamity Clara’ is a Blue Rogue.” And one Vyse had heard about, if only in the broad strokes. She kept her ship and its cannons tuned for long-range combat, and the Valuan bounty board showed her as a minor nuisance, since she usually ran off once things moved to close-range, and she never suffered a boarding action. “Seems to me she takes the same risks you do. You’d do better fighting together.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Gilder said, rubbing at an ear with a wince. 

Vyse chuckled and leaned against the wall of the launch’s wheelhouse. “So, where was  _ her _ portrait on your wall?”

“...Behind the couch. Left side. The redhead.” Gilder grumbled, and Vyse let his memory flicker back to the ship, until he recalled a vague image of the picture in question. She’d been a looker, although one that preferred old-fashioned dresses ill-suited for combat. “In some ways, Vyse, she’s even more frightening than the Armada.”

Vyse chuckled. “She’s a Blue Rogue, Gilder. How bad could she be?” 

“Agree to disagree.” Gilder said, and let the subject drop.

Arriving at Nasrad, they left their ship parked at the docks, the two ventured into the city. They stopped off long enough at an inn called  _ The Calm Sands _ to make arrangements for a room with two beds, and then Gilder excused himself for a trip to the local pub while Vyse made straight for Nasrad’s Sailor’s Guild office. The Discoveries he’d found while sailing the North Ocean and the Valuan mainland got him quite a bit in coin as the guildmaster copied over the necessary information from his sailor’s journal, but Vyse was disheartened to learn that even with that added boost in his finances, there were no ships which were within his price range.

“There was one that we brokered a sale for yesterday. I’m afraid you just missed out on the opportunity.” The guildmaster apologized. Vyse sighed and thanked the man, then headed out. He almost stopped in at the pub, but decided against it and headed back to the Calm Sands Inn, still exhausted after his long residence on the deserted island. He flopped back on his mattress and daydreamed for a good twenty minutes, then sat back up and winced as he felt the folded up scrap of vellum he’d stuffed there days ago. It was the half of the treasure map he’d found on Gonzales’ corpse, and staring at it, he still couldn’t quite make out the details. 

He was still looking at it when their room door opened and Gilder came strolling in, hardly fazed at all by whatever he’d been drinking. 

“Hey, sport. Sorry that took so…” Gilder started, then he caught sight of what Vyse was reading. “Holy Moons.” Vyse and Gilder heard noise out in the hallway, and Gilder quickly stepped into the room and closed their door, locking it. He came over and sat down beside Vyse. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Part of a treasure map.” Vyse said. “There was another stranded sailor who’d died on the island you found me on before. His name was Gonzales, and he had been holding on to this.”

“May I?” Gilder asked, holding out his hand. Vyse gave it about a second’s thought, then handed it over. Gilder stared at it for a good minute, then broke out into laughter. “Oh, this is  _ incredible _ . If I’m right, Vyse, this...this could lead us to  _ Daccat’s Treasure!” _

Vyse blinked at the name. Daccat had been a feared Air Pirate in the age before the Valuan Empire rose to prominence. It had been rumored that he’d plundered the lands under each of the moons, but the accepted thinking was that he’d only sailed in Mid-Ocean and the North Ocean, which made sense, given how Ixa’taka had gone unnoticed by the world until Valua stumbled across it during their expansion. He’d been a holy terror, then vanished into the skies, never to be seen again.

And apparently he’d vanished somewhere awfully close by, if he read the outline of the Valuan coast correctly.

“How much do you think Daccat’s treasure is worth?” Vyse asked.

“Hell. Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Maybe millions.” Gilder chuckled. “And with this, I think we stand a decent chance of finding it.” He handed the map back to Vyse. “What do you say, kid? You up for a little treasure hunt?”

Vyse hesitated. He needed to find the girls, but the fact of the matter was...he was still down a ship. And Gilder had been generous, but he had his own ship and crew to look after.

“Deal.” Vyse said, nodding solemnly. “But I’m buying a ship with my half. I have to find them, Gilder. I’m not going to sleep right until I know they’re safe.”

“You could buy a fleet of ships if this pans out, Vyse.” Gilder reminded him. He slapped Vyse on the back and got up from the bed with a grin. “Come on! We’ll buy some supplies and then shove off!”

Vyse started to get up, but paused. “I almost forgot, Gilder. There’s one more stop we have to make before we take off.”

“Where?”

“I have to see the Nasultan and warn him. The Valuans are planning an invasion of Nasrad.”

Gilder’s grin faded a little. “How do you know that? Picked up some intelligence while you were in Valua?”

“Interrogated a soldier. They’re putting together a new Fleet under a new Admiral, someone called Ramirez. Supposedly he was Galcian’s old Vice Commander.”

“We can try, but we might be waiting for a while.” Gilder pointed out, opening the door and leading Vyse back out. “The Nasultan’s palace is well-guarded, and he’s not the sort who speaks to common folks.”

“He’ll listen to me.” Vyse resolved. “The fate of his kingdom, and the only military force able to stand up to Valua’s aggression, rests on it.”

He hated it, but the girls and Daccat’s treasure would have to wait for a few more hours. He had to first try and make sure there was a world for them to come back to.

 

***

 

_ Nasrian Airspace _

_ Evening _

  
  


In the wheelhouse of the small ship that they’d worked for two weeks to purchase, Aika and Fina sailed north away from Nasrad, towards the wilderness off of the Valuan coastline. The sunset faded into the west through the port window, and even with Aika doing the flying, Fina stayed close at her side, hugging one arm around the redhead’s waist.

After setting out to get their last paychecks, the duo had made one last stop back at  _ The Calm Sands _ to settle their room bill with Fatima and had found an exhausted old homeless man. They’d gotten him inside and made Fatima make him something to eat and drink, and then listened as the bald and mustachioed man, who called himself Pedro, spoke of a friend lost long ago, a promise made, and a map to a great treasure split in half and never reunited.

He had stayed with Fatima and handed them his half of the map that he and his friend Gonzales had split apart in their youth, having no interest in a dream deferred. For the girls, it was a lifeline. To find Vyse, they would need a bigger ship, a crew. Daccat’s treasure, as the map promised lay somewhere in the wilderness, would give them all the money they would need to make it happen.

“He might be somewhere out here.” Fina mused quietly, giving Aika’s waist a soft squeeze. “The storm blew us out of Valua. It probably did the same thing to him. And if he’d been captured by Valua, we would have heard about it.”

“No news being good news, is what you’re saying.” Aika hummed. “This ship is sturdy, but the engine’s not the most powerful one out there. We’ll need to find somewhere to weigh anchor for the night so we can get some sleep. Keep your eyes out for a stationary island. Unlike in the Southern Ocean, we won’t have to worry about being blown around like a top all the time.”

The memory made Fina shiver a little, but she didn’t panic. “I’m still sleeping with you, even if the winds aren’t howling.”

Aika laughed once and leaned her head over, kissing Fina’s forehead. “Then we’ll have an extra bunk to store all the treasure we’re going to find, won’t we Princess?”

Fina hummed in reply, leaning her head on Aika’s shoulder. It was so easy to lapse into trusting quiet with her. Fina never said more than she needed to, but when she spoke, it was with purpose; she said what she  _ had to _ . 

“What do you think it will be like, when we find Vyse?” Fina asked. “Sharing a bed with him?”

“It’ll probably be crowded.” Aika deadpanned, getting a laugh from her lover. She smiled at the reaction and kept on. “But, I think...I think there will be some nights we’ll put him in the middle when we cuddle. And there’ll be nights where it’s you in the middle.”

“And nights when Vyse and I are cuddled around you.” Fina added warmly. “He’s not complete without the both of us. And neither am I, without the both of you. You’re no less important, Aika. You know that, right?”

Aika bit her lip, and held onto the singing joy surging in her chest. “I do now.” 

Fina sniffed once. “I swear by the grace of the Silver Moon, I will spend every day reminding you of that, until you no longer doubt it.”

“Shh.” Aika leaned her head on top of Fina’s, staring out over the horizon. “It’s okay. One thing at a time, Fina. First, we find Daccat’s treasure…”

Fina squeezed her again. “...And then we find Vyse.”


	18. The Greatest Treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lost treasure reunites the Blue Rogues...And three become one.

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Eighteen: The Greatest Treasure**

  
  


_ Daccat’s Island _

_ 102 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


If there was a word that characterized Gilder, air pirate captain of the gunship  _ Claudia _ , it was, to his mind,  **freedom** . Freedom from oppressive governments, freedom from tariffs and taxes, and freedom from a code. He fought against Valua whenever he could manage minimal losses and maximize his gains, he detested the merciless tactics of the Black Pirates, and he considered the Blue Rogues too stifling to ally with completely. He preferred to live by his own rules, few as they were. 

That driving need for freedom extended to his love life as well; unwilling to make a commitment to any woman that might result in her being widowed, or worse, widowed with a child, Gilder favored one night stands...or long weekends, for an especially beautiful and charming woman. As a child, he’d taken up drawing and painting for fun, but found piracy to be a far more exciting career. Still, the walls of his stateroom were covered in portraits he’d taken of all the women he’d ‘known’, to use the old colloquialism. His women on the walls, nothing but a picture, a name, and a fond memory as he sailed on. Aside from one particularly persistent she-devil of a Blue Rogue, most women accepted his lifestyle. He had the open skies, he had his ship and crew, and he had his health and his hobbies. It was enough for the 32 year old air pirate.

Finding a marooned Blue Rogue on one of the southernmost islands in the frontier lands had been an unexpected surprise, and even more surprising to find that it was Vyse the Bold, as he was called on the Valuan bounty boards. He’d worked his way up to two stars, not quite as impressive as ‘Gilder The Unfettered’, but fast working his way up the chain. Or at least he had been before he’d been separated from his crew and lost. And damn if the boy didn’t tell some thrilling stories of his adventures.

Damn if the boy didn’t also have a constantly haunted look about him as well.

 

Gilder was no fool; buried within the stories about their exploits in surviving pirate hunters, Valuan treachery and  _ Gigas _ of all Moons-damned things, there was a constant undertone when he spoke about the two girls on his crew, Aika and Fina. Aika, his friend since childhood, his strong right hand, and Fina, a girl who fell out of the sky and started the mess of his journey. He smiled when he spoke of them. His voice rang with sadness and haunted longing in equal measure. If Vyse had merely had a fling with one of them, or both, he wouldn’t be as bad off.

But he had made the mistake of falling in love with them.

Both of them. He looked at Gilder and was disgusted out of his failure to commit.

Gilder looked at Vyse and saw a living cautionary tale, a man who punished himself continually for what was in his heart. Vyse had laughed when Gilder had pressed him on why he’d never made a move on either of the girls, and it was a laugh that wanted desperately to be a sob.

He really couldn’t choose. And Gilder was grateful he’d never had to.

 

***

 

What Vyse needed, Gilder thought as he sat at the bar and enjoyed his first shorebound drink of Nasrian ale in weeks, was a distraction. The boy would sit and wither in worry if he was given the chance. He was so fixated on finding the girls that he was losing the spark of life which, by the tales of his exploits that Vyse had told him and Gilder had only heard rumors of beforehand, was so necessary to his success. Maybe if he got the two cuties who’d wandered in to collect their last paychecks while he’d been drinking, but...well. They had places to be, and didn’t spare Gilder more than a second glance. So, no distraction to be found in women, though it was doubtful Vyse would  _ let himself be distracted _ by other women in the first place, not when he was so tunneled in on the two he’d lost.

To find out that Vyse had been hanging on to a scrap of a treasure map, and one that led to  _ Daccat’s _ rumored treasure horde? An absolute blessing. Vyse had been willing to go along, even if he tempered the expedition’s purpose by stating flatly that he’d be buying a new ship with his portion of the treasure so he could go looking for Aika and Fina. After they spent hours pleading for an audience with the Nasultan, being let in and left to wait for another hour more, and then having Vyse’s worried warning about the massing Valuan threat being dismissed out of hand, both Vyse and Gilder had been in a right mood. Vyse, more than Gilder, who’d treated the odds of being taken seriously by royalty as minimal at best.

They set out late that evening after the sun had already gone down, with Vyse taking the helm and guiding the ship along through the darkness by red moonlight and starlight. Gilder let him, and took the wheel the next morning to let the exhausted boy finally get some sleep.

 

Days of sailing later, they’d managed to get a clue by first finding the strange formation on the Valuan continental coastline Vyse dubbed ‘Skull Rock’, and then following its gaze into the mess of smaller islands in the middle reaches of the frontier lands, where the sky turned from blue to an ominous orange. And sure enough, when they made for one of the largest islands that was along the direct path from Skull Rock’s long-distant gaze (And wasn’t that a mark of how skilled a sailor Vyse was, to keep their heading in spite of the crosswind?), Vyse caught sight of an obscure detail in the foliage below. To the unobservant, it would have seemed that the bushes merely grew funny, or that the elements and the ground had carved their layout into a specific formation. 

But when they laid anchor and descended on the northern side of the island, hiding their ship out of clear view of the skies, and wandered to where the odd formation of flora was, it only took a single glance at the ground for Gilder to realize that Vyse had been right all along. He tapped the ground in disbelief, which still bore the scorch marks of powerful red magic.

“That’s one way to leave an indicator.” Gilder said, sizing up the swath of earth which had been razed so that only the smallest of grasses would grow in its wake. 

Vyse chuckled and stood back up, a handful of the grass in his palm. “Stone monuments can be broken, and are too obvious a clue. No, Daccat knew what he was doing. To anyone just flying around, they would miss this. But for someone who followed Skull Rock, the sight of a skull formed out of the natural growth would be a subtle enough sign.”

And then, after another hour of searching, they’d found an entrance to the island’s hidden underground; a doorway marked with a salamander, and a large stone slab in front of it. 

Gilder knew they were on the right track then.

“Daccat flew two ships. He supposedly captained both, but in truth, he was more of an admiral.” He explained to Vyse. “One was the  _ Salamander _ , and the other was the  _ Scorpion _ . Legends were that both ships were captained by fearsome women who were always at each other’s throats; Daccat kept them from killing each other, and they eventually became friends.” He shrugged. “When Daccat disappeared, so did they. Nobody even remembers their names anymore, just their ships.”

“Isn’t that stupid.” Vyse muttered bitterly. Gilder sighed, conceding the kid had a point. Gilder had stood on the stone slab in front of the mural and nothing had happened. Vyse stood on it with him for a solid minute while they were discussing the past and nothing had happened.

And then, suddenly,  _ something happened _ . The stone slab gave out and sank inches into the ground...and the barrier with the marking of a salamander on it began to slide open. 

Vyse looked to Gilder, and Gilder looked back at him.

“What did you do?” Vyse asked him.

“Nothing.” Gilder answered. “What did  _ you _ do?”

“...Nothing.” Vyse huffed softly and stared into the darkness ahead of them. He pulled out his cutlasses and ran a low level charge of spiritual energy through them, enough to make the blades shine as brightly as a torch. “Maybe we’re expected.”

“Far be it from me to refuse an invitation.” Gilder chuckled, and checked the charge on his pistols. 

 

***

 

Daccat’s Maze, as Gilder took to thinking of it, was a truly curious beast. At first, there’d just been a corridor with a few off-branching paths; treasure chests protected by well-hidden traps that unleashed moonstone-powered rough automatons on them. Nothing they couldn’t deal with, especially for as aged as they were, but an inconvenience all the same. There had been more stone slabs barring the way forward, bearing Daccat’s emblem of a hatted skull over cutlasses, and levers that altered nothing.

And yet, after Vyse and Gilder threw the massive toggles that did nothing, almost exactly one minute later for the first, and about half that time for the second, the blocking slabs moved of their own volition to guide them forward.

Corkscrewing ladders that led to treasure chests and the route forward and to open air proved especially challenging, because they would turn a lever to change it, start forward, and have to scramble back as the thing moved. Temperamental, haunted equipment aside, they eventually delved through caverns with more treasure chests (And even a Moonfish, Vyse claimed, through Gilder couldn’t see what he was shooting a net at to save his life and had trouble believing he’d caught anything, even as the near invisible thing squirmed in a sack) and even monsters that had crawled up from the chasms beneath and made a home for themselves. They carried with them a small cache of gold, a set of antique chainmail armor meant to be worn under ones’ outer vestments and sized for a man, and had even fought off a treasure hunter that Vyse was  _ livid _ to see still living by the name of Zivilyn Bane, who knocked Gilder into a wall from an explosive pouch before Vyse almost gutted the bastard and chased him away. 

At the end of all of those crazy traps, caverns, and mechanisms, they found themselves in a massive cylindrical room, with steps that rotated on complex, rusted gimbals and platforms that were welded along support struts to the far wall. Through trial and error and careful prodding, Gilder and Vyse managed to rig up a system where they’d change the position of the walkways and  _ wait _ for something to happen. Something usually did, and whatever was causing the changes seemed to respond to their timing. After the harrowing close calls earlier in the maze, to have at last a sense of cooperation with the spirits that haunted Daccat’s legacy was nothing short of a miracle. 

And then…

_ And then _ …

They stood on the main platform in the room, on top of yet another slab, one of steel and waited. And after ten long seconds, it sank into the platform, and ancient gears and machinery groaned out of rusted disuse and cranked the entire room around, until they were lined up with a sealed doorway. As soon as the mechanisms locked in, the last Daccat door opened, and they went on ahead. 

Along a darkened tunnel that turned a sharp corner and sloped upwards, Vyse sighed and held his glowing swords ahead of their path, one low to the ground for obstacles and the other above his head. 

“This is one strange treasure vault.” Vyse said in a low murmur. “It’s like the place is haunted.”

“Yes, you’ve said that before.” Gilder pointed out. 

“I was dangling from a ledge, I had a good reason to say it.” Vyse snorted. He took point and let Gilder sweep in behind, pistols ready to fire. It had served them well during the ambushes from the cave monsters before. “But seriously. We pull a lever. Nothing happens. And then something does. We stand on a switch, and  _ nothing happens _ , and then something  _ does _ .”

Gilder did his best not to shiver, although it was hard, for as cool and dry as the cave was. “Ghosts aren’t real, Vyse.”

“Never said they were. Aika thought that there was a ghost in Rixis and it turned out to be that stupid priest who’d scarpered off with the Green Moon Crystal before we got there. But there’s  _ something _ going on here, and I don’t understand it, and I don’t like it.”

“Then we deal with it.” Gilder shrugged, trying for confidence. “Isn’t that a part of your Code, too? About not quitting?”

“Close. The line is,  _ Blue Rogues never back down from a greater danger. _ ” 

“...That’s a mouthful right there.” Gilder muttered, smiling when Vyse finally laughed. 

“It could use a little editing.” Vyse conceded, which made it twice now by Gilder’s count that the young Blue Rogue had said something to the effect that their Code needed some work. “But it’s still useful as a framework.”

“Making all sorts of plans in that head of yours. What would dear old Daddy Dyne say?” Gilder joked.

And then something hard fell over Vyse’s features, and the humor drained out of him faster than a broken wine cask. “I don’t give a damn what he thinks.” Gilder choked on his laugh, stunned at the stormclouds in his young associate’s eyes, and fell silent. He suddenly didn’t want to poke at that can of worms. Vyse took in a long breath, held it, then let it out. “Come on.” They finished climbing up the tunnel and turned another sharp corner, and found...another stone slab on the ground. Vyse looked to Gilder, raised an eyebrow, and the two stepped onto it. 

It shifted and sank into the floor three seconds later.

 

Past one last Daccat-sigiled door, they found themselves staring into a (Finally!) well-lit room, with a narrow path to a large platform at the center, a second path ten feet to their left, and at the far end of the room was an elevated section of room with…

_ The biggest freaking treasure chest that Gilder had ever seen in his  _ **_life_ ** _. _

 

“Jackpot!” Gilder laughed, and he and Vyse shot ahead, the boy quickly outpacing him. Gilder kept on laughing, knowing that boyish enthusiasm would always beat him out. “Just look at the size of that chest! We’re going to be  _ rich _ !”

 

That was the primary thought in his head up until he heard a very audible echoed gasp from behind him and off to the side. Then he whirled about, guns halfway up to firing position, on edge after too many hours of close calls and spine-chilling coincidences. “Who’s there?!”

The shout that came back was young, shrill, and all too clearly feminine. “Who’s there yourself?!” Gilder blinked at the thunder in that tone, not quite sure how to react to it.

Vyse, on the other hand, let out a shuddering and very audible gasp and looked like he’d either been struck over the head, or like he was a man in the desert who had suddenly seen an oasis. He stumbled forward, emerging from behind (He’d been  _ ahead  _ of Gilder, the air pirate realized, hidden from the woman who had come up at their rear).

And then the female voice let out a shaky gasp. “Is...Wait, that…”

“That’s...I don’t believe it...” Two women emerged from the shadows of the second entrance that had been on their left as they walked into the room. Two women that Gilder had seen in passing and recognized with vague familiarity, before he glanced sideways at Vyse and…

And the Blue Rogue  _ crumbled _ and fell to his knees, his eyes never leaving the two women.

Oh. 

Oh,  _ Abyss damn it all _ , those two were…

“Vyse!” The both of the women, Aika and Fina as Gilder now placed them by their happy squeals and the boy’s poleaxed, open longing, came running into the antechamber at full tilt. The one in the silvery dress slowed her pace as she neared, but the fiery pigtailed redhead charged and hit Vyse at a full out run, wrapping her arms around him before rocking him back in a flying hug. She was laughing like her life depended on it, and Vyse could do nothing but match it with an incredulous guffaw and hold her back.

“We thought...We  _ hoped _ , we didn’t dare think otherwise…” The redhead, Aika as Gilder placed her by the boomerang on her back and the glove on her left hand she used to wield it, stammered away, her eyes misting up rapidly.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, if you hate me it’s okay, but I’m so glad you’re both all right…” Vyse fumbled rapidly through his own words, as if he had said them a hundred times and now at the critical moment, tried to get them all out before he forgot them.

“We were going to come find you after this…”

“I was going to buy a ship and come find you…” Vyse said at the same time, and the two paused in disbelief as their dialogue overlapped and synchronized. Then they both fell apart, laughing like loons while Fina, giggling and wiping at tearful eyes, stepped over and knelt beside the duo still crouched on the stone platform.

And then Aika, her arms still hugging Vyse tight, leaned in and kissed the young Blue Rogue hard enough to make him go stiff.

Maybe in more ways than one, Gilder chuckled under his breath. But after she pulled back, still deliriously joyful, the happiness and hope Vyse had been showing had melted away into panic.

“Aika, you...I can’t...I…” He stammered out, about two steps from looking as miserable as before. But Aika shook her head, still humming.

“It’s okay, Vyse.” The redhead said reassuringly, and pulled away

“No, but it’s not…” He started, still lost to panic as his eyes flickered between the two. And then Fina stopped him cold by raising a hand to the side of his face and keeping him from twisting away. She took Aika’s place and pushed him back, and somehow Vyse managed to twist his legs underneath him to land with them sprawled out in front of him instead of stuck behind, and Fina slipped into his lap before wrapping her own arms around him, smiling as warmly as a gentle spring sun.

“It  _ is _ okay.” Fina hummed, and leaned in and kissed him gentler than Aika had, but no less meaningfully. 

Gilder stared, and when Fina pulled back with an appreciative hum, Aika knelt down beside and between the two. 

Vyse looked between the two girls, stunned, and Aika chuckled. “Okay. Vyse? I want you to shut up for a second and  _ pay attention _ . Can you do that?” He blinked, and Aika went on. “I love you.” He blinked again.

“And I love you.” Fina chimed in, and his focus switched. “But I also love Aika.” And to make  _ that point _ abundantly clear, the blonde-haired girl leaned over and gave Aika another soft kiss.

“So, when you say you love the  _ both _ of us?” Aika said after, blushing a bit from the unexpected, but welcome attention of the other girl. She shrugged. “It’s okay.”

Vyse breathed hard for a few more seconds, and then slumped forward, and Fina made a noise of surprise as she caught him.

“I...It’s okay?” He whispered.

“Yes, Vyse.” Fina soothed him, stroking his back.

“I love you both.” He went on, sobbing openly. “I couldn’t choose. I can’t choose. And neither of...neither of you are…”

“Shh.” Aika and Fina both hugged him hard after that, silencing him. They shared a look after that, and the two nodded at some unspoken message that Vyse didn’t even have a clue had been passed, his head pressed against Fina’s shoulder.

It was important to them, Gilder realized. When Vyse finally did pull himself back together, Aika put a proper spin on the mood by scowling and poking him in the chest.

“But from now on, Vyse, you don’t go anywhere alone. Got it, buster?”

Eyes still wet with tears, Vyse laughed once and kissed Fina on the cheek, then reached a hand behind Aika’s head and pulled her in for a deep kiss that, by her muffled squeak, she hadn’t been expecting.

Her eyes shone when he let go of her, and his own smile began to change into the cocky grin that Gilder had always thought Vyse possessed, based on the stories about him.

“Then I guess you’re both stuck with me.” Vyse decided, looking over to Fina. “Or I’m stuck with you.”

Fina leaned her head against Aika’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.” She agreed, looking remarkably peaceful.

 

***

 

Gilder took it upon himself to finish walking the rest of the way up to the treasure chest while Vyse and his women sat there hugging ( _ No,  _ they were not  _ snuggling _ , Gilder couldn’t  _ handle that _ thought right now) and saying nothing at all aside from roaming fingers and eyes and lips.

“Now let’s see what kind of reward good old Daccat left for us.” Gilder announced in a loud and overly cheerful voice, hoping that it would snap the three kids out of their romantic daydreams. 

There was a pause behind him as he fiddled with the heavy lid, and then shuffling as the three unwrapped themselves. Vyse was at his side shortly after, and helped Gilder to push the lid up and back. The chest fell open without any drama at all, and the two of them peered inside while Aika and Fina came up behind them. Grinning, Gilder leaned over, his mind dancing with thoughts of heaps of gold coins, exotic gems, expensive jewelry from a hundred different ports of call…

It all came to a crashing halt when his eyes sat nothing but an empty chest, devoid of any object save for a single golden coin emblazoned with Daccat’s seal, and a withered old scrap of parchment, yellowed with age. 

“That’s it?” Aika’s despondent voice came from over Gilder’s shoulder. “An empty chest?”

“Almost.” Gilder muttered, reaching inside and picking up the lone gold coin, holding it up so everyone could see. Vyse went for the scrap of parchment, using the zooming lens on the goggle to focus in on the weathered, flowing script. 

“He left a note for us too.” Vyse said. “Hang on, his cursive’s a little archaic, but...No, I’ve got it. ‘ _ Brave souls that come seeking my treasure...do not be discouraged. You already have the most valuable treasure in the world. Comrades, trust, and cooperation. Those are the only true treasures in this world.” _

Vyse turned and looked at the others with his eyebrows up almost to his hair. Aika swore and stomped her foot into the floor, which startled Fina a bit.

Gilder had to laugh. “That old bastard got us!” He fitted in between guffaws. “Oh, wow. Who knew that Daccat was such a prankster?”

“It wasn’t a prank.” Fina explained, recovering faster than the others. “He wasn’t wrong.”

“If I’d gotten as much treasure as Daccat had, I would have spent it all when I had the chance too, I guess.” Vyse sighed.

“Would it have killed him to leave a little bit for us for our troubles?” Aika whined. 

“He did.” Gilder said, flipping the coin and then depositing it in Vyse’s palm. “Just enough to tell the story.”

“Besides, Aika, we needed the treasure to buy a ship so we could go looking for Vyse.” Fina pointed out. She put an arm around Vyse’s waist and smirked. “We don’t need a ship anymore though.”

“Well, I wouldn’t  _ mind _ having a ship.” Vyse rationalized. “I mean...Drachma…” And there he paused, realizing something.

Aika caught on first. “The old man didn’t make it, did he?” And Vyse breathed and shook his head. 

“Last I saw of him, he was in the back of the  _ Little Jack _ , burning out of control, being dragged away by Rhaknam by the Harpoon Cannon’s line. I don’t think he could have made it, even if he somehow got clear of the Valuans.” Vyse bit his lip. “In the end, though...he figured out what was important. I think, anyways. He got us off the boat. I asked him to come with us, but he was a captain to the end. He went down with his ship.”

“One-Armed Drachma was always a peculiar sort of fella.” Gilder mused. “But if you three managed to get along with him, that’s a feather in your cap. So. We’ve got a single gold coin, a letter, and an empty dungeon with one hell of a story to tell. And by some miracle, you two managed to find this place just like we did. How did you manage that?”

“Got half of a treasure map off of an old guy named Pedro in Nasrad.” Aika explained. “We’d been working there for a couple of weeks to get enough money to buy a skiff. We followed it here.”

“Interesting.” Vyse said. “ _ We _ found this place from half of a treasure map too. I got it off of the corpse of a marooned sailor named Gonzales on the island I was stuck on…”

_ “Gonzales?!” _ Aika exclaimed.

“You were marooned?!” Fina uttered in the same breath. 

Vyse looked between them, then wordlessly dug in his back pocket and unfolded his half of the vellum map that pointed to Daccat’s island. Two heartbeats later, Aika pulled out a similar half of the map and held it up next to Vyse’s. 

A perfect fit.

Laughing was the only reasonable course of action after that. It beat cursing out the Moons for coincidence or destiny.

 

***

 

_ The Frontier Lands _

_ 102 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Evening _

  
  


After leaving Daccat’s puzzling dungeon behind, Vyse had insisted (With the girl’s forceful agreement) that they were  _ not _ splitting apart again, that they were going to go to  _ their ship first _ , take off, and then go find the girl’s skiff, and they were going to fly back to Nasrad  _ together _ . Gilder let it go, figuring that Vyse meant to keep the two women he loved beyond reasonable measure close by, and that he would be spending the days with them and the nights in his own bunk.

But after flying with the ships all but tied together in a near double-hulled formation and then laying anchor off of one of the larger islands in the frontier lands, Vyse had been taken aside after dinner by the two girls, who had been whispering to each other all day when they were alone. They’d spoken in soft tones while Gilder watched with a sense of growing dread, and sure enough, Vyse’s eyes shot wide open as he looked between them, blushing madly. Fina was unflappable, but Aika, who Gilder had earmarked as brash and confident and wildly aggressive, had shrank into herself during the talk, seeming shy and unsure of herself.

Then Vyse had taken Aika’s hand into his, and she looked up, and Vyse smiled at her before kissing her. He went gently at first, before she melted into his embrace and pulled her arm fast behind his head to hold him closer still. When they separated, the nervousness remained, but she wasn’t as afraid, especially after Fina leaned in and gave each of them a lingering kiss of her own before stepping back and nodding, giving Aika a small bag of something that made the redhead blush even more.

And then the two went first into the smaller ship’s wheelhouse and then belowdecks to whatever cabin waited below. Fina, smiling with a distant look in her eyes, had walked across the gangplank between their moored vessels and taken a seat beside Gilder, folding her arms in her lap.

“I am told there is a second bed on your private yacht here. I will be using it tonight.”

Gilder blinked. “But...Then Vyse…”

“Will be spending the night with Aika.” The Silvite explained primly. And didn’t seem the least bit disturbed by it. “Do you have any tea? A variety with less caffeine would be appreciated.”

“Uh. Caffeine?” Gilder asked hesitantly. “What’s that? I mean, there’s some black tea down in the galley, but…”

“Never mind, I’ll figure it out.” She rose up to her feet again, smoothed out a single wrinkle on her long skirt, and looked to him again. “Do you care for some?”

“If you’re making it, I wouldn’t turn down a cup. It usually takes me a bit to wind down.” Gilder thanked her. “Especially after today.”

Fina laughed at that, her voice musical and airy. “Very well. Two mugs it is.” She disappeared for a good ten minutes, which gave Gilder enough time to glance over at the adjoining ship a dozen times over before glancing to his own wheelhouse and the stairs he knew were there. There were so many things about those three that didn’t make any sense to him, their ‘relationship’ chief among them. 

He heard a muffled squeak, as if yelped through closed fingers come from the other ship, and he blushed a little. For a moment, he felt guilty of being a voyeur, but it wasn’t quite true; he wasn’t lingering outside of their door. He was on his own blasted yacht, they were just being loud! 

Fina reappeared on the edge of his sight, two mugs of steaming tea in hand. She took one and held it out to him, and Gilder nodded at her gratefully. The blonde-haired girl leaned up against the railing next to him in an easy and graceful motion, and hummed a single low note to herself as she looked over to the ship where Vyse and Aika were…

Were…

“You seem upset.” Fina ventured, pausing with the mug next to her lips. “What is troubling you, Mr. Gilder?”

“I’m still trying to figure out... _ this _ .” Gilder said, waving a hand vaguely at the ship before motioning to the girl who had asked him what was on his mind. “Right now, Vyse and Aika are...are over there, and he’s…” Gilder froze, wondering what to say next. Fina just raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea delicately and waiting for him to go on. Gilder glared at her. “You know what I’m going to say.”

Fina swallowed and lowered her mug of tea down, fixing him with a smile. “Deflowering her. Opening her petals. Breaking her chastity.” She paused, then went on with a bit of a laugh. “Making love. Having sex. Plowing her field. Staking his claim. Making her a woman.”

Gilder huffed. He’d heard all of them, of course, but… “You definitely aren’t shy about it.”

“What is there to be shy about, exactly?” Fina shrugged. “They’re in love. It’s natural. There’s no shame in it.”

“I’m just...it’s a lot to take in, really.” Gilder admitted. “And how can you be so calm about it? How can you  _ both _ love him? How can you  _ both _ love each other? How is that fair to any of you?”

“Do you have a problem with Aika and me being lovers?”

“No, that doesn’t bother me.” Gilder shrugged. “I’ve seen women who were with other women and men who were with other men. Got two on my crew who are together, even. We don’t treat ‘em any different, they’re good sailors.”

She hummed again. “So your problem is not that I’m attracted to men or women, it’s that I am attracted to a man  _ and _ a woman.”

Gilder stared down into his cup and tried to think of a way to phrase his worry that didn’t make him sound like an ass. “People are...they get jealous. They  **don’t** share. In love, especially. I can count dozens of sailors I’ve known who have been attacked by jilted lovers once they found out that they were being cheated on. How can you sit here, at peace with the world, while your man is over there making the beast with two backs?”

“There’s your problem, Gilder.” Fina explained, sounding like an instructor going over some old primary school lesson on grammar or mathematics. “You think that love is something like a zero-sum game. It  _ isn’t _ . You have no idea just how long Vyse was beating himself up over his feelings for us. He thought he was  _ sick _ , or  _ perverted _ . That because he held two women in his heart instead of just one, that there was something  _ wrong _ with him. When Aika went to him weeks ago and offered herself to him, he…” And there, Fina’s voice strained from so much pain that it cracked, and she had to close her eyes and turn her head away. 

Gilder breathed as soft as he could, stunned at her loss of composure and the sheer amount of  _ hurt _ that she radiated. “It  _ broke _ her.” Fina finally whispered, and she rubbed her free hand along the sleeve of the arm holding her tea, like she was trying to hug herself. “If she hadn’t had me…” The young woman paused again, something in her eyes glimmering with so much more wisdom than she should have had by years lived alone. 

But then it was gone, washed away, and she took another sip of tea. “The wealth of the ages for a cup of coffee.” She said softly, and then pressed on. “Vyse told us about you, you know.”

“I should have known he’d gossip.” Gilder huffed. Fina smiled at that, and something menacing lingered in her eyes for a bit, making him stop. “All good things, I hope?”

“For the most part.” The girl conceded, looking up when the sound of wild, happy laughter shattered the peace of the night; Aika’s laughter, and then Vyse’s met it. Fina giggled a little under her breath at that. “He did, however, say you have a different approach to your...relations.”

“I make no promises I can’t keep.” Gilder said, immediately defensive. “There’s nothing wrong with the way I live. I’m not hurting any of the women I’m with, they know I’m not looking for a commitment. That I can’t guarantee one.” He turned it back on her after that. “Why aren’t you in there with them? Isn’t that how it works, if he loves the both of you and you’re both... _ okay _ with that?”

Fina nodded. “In time, yes. But not tonight.”

“Why?” Gilder asked, still confused beyond reason as to why Fina could be so accepting about being left out of whatever their strange threesome was.

The girl swirled what was left of her tea around in her cup. “Because I love them.” She said, as if that explained everything. To her, it probably did. But to Gilder, it just confused him even more.

Then they heard the unmistakable sound of a throaty, gasping whine from Aika, and a low, answering moan from Vyse, which only made Aika’s own noise spur upwards until it died out. Gilder stared at the other ship, wishing he’d asked for a strong drink instead of tea, and then looked over to Fina. 

He was dismayed to see her face frozen in a smile, but with tears tracking down her cheeks. “You can’t tell me you’re okay with this! You’re crying!” He snapped. Fina was  _ crying _ , and not more than thirty feet away, the two people she claimed to love with her entire heart were screwing each other and leaving her out of it!

Fina laughed, broken from the freeze, and brought a hand up to wipe at her eyes. “I’m perfectly fine with it.” She admonished Gilder. “Do you know how long she’s waited for this? How long he has? They  _ needed _ this.” She held up a finger to keep him from protesting. “I’m happy for her. I’m happy for him. I’m happy...for  _ both _ of them.”

Gilder shook his head, still not quite getting it. And Fina kept on, staring at him and forcing him to meet her gaze.

“You think that them being together means that somehow, my love for them is worth  _ less _ than the love they have for each other, or the love that Aika and I have. That he values us any differently, but he  _ doesn’t _ . There’s enough room in his heart for both of us. And there’s enough room in my heart for the both of them. I want them to be  _ happy _ . After everything they’ve done for me? Everything they’re  _ still _ doing?”

 

Fina sighed slowly after that, nodding as the noises from the other ship at last fell silent. “Do you know what love is, Gilder?”

“I think I do.” 

Fina smiled at him again, and Gilder had the sudden impression that she was somehow  both disappointed and full of pity for him. She stood up, finished her tea in a long swallow, and patted him on the shoulder. “If you did, you would know why I’m fine with this.” Then the Silvite sauntered past him, heading for the wheelhouse and the stairs that would lead to Vyse’s cabin belowdecks. She paused at the door.

“Oh, and just so you know? Tomorrow night?” Then her matronly smile faded for sexual predation. “It’s  _ my turn. _ ” And she waved to him one last time, and disappeared.

Gilder sat up on the deck for a long time after that, and resolved to have the stiffest alcohol on hand when that happened.

 

***

 

_ 103 Days after the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Gilder had gotten an early start to the day, and to his misfortune, so had Aika and Vyse. He had been subjected to the sounds of enthusiastic morning sex while Fina beamed and cheerfully offered him a second helping of Grapor sausage, pretending to be oblivious to the noises that shattered his peaceful morning. He ended up pouring a liberal shot of whiskey into his morning tea to try and ineffectively numb his hearing.

It was mid-morning before Aika and Vyse finally emerged from the confines of the other ship’s quarters, completely lost in each other’s eyes and hovering close to each other. It was like they were living every poorly written romance story that Clara had ever gushed to Gilder about, back before he realized how fixated on him she really was. They cuddled with their eyes closed. They were almost always looking at each other when they were more than three feet apart. The weary look that Vyse had suffered under since Gilder had met him was gone, blasted away, and a vital young man with a heart full of fire had taken the place of it. And Aika  _ glowed _ . As soon they had come up on deck, the first thing she’d done after giving Vyse a lingering kiss was to race over to Fina, sweep the other girl up in a hug, and brand an even more searing one on her lips next. 

They flew the ships side by side through the day, and Gilder was forced to let the less powerful and slower skiff, piloted by Aika, set the pace for their return trip back to Nasrad. Occasionally, Vyse would come over and visit him to relieve his post at the wheel, but it was always with the easy excuse of,  _ ‘The girls wanted some time to talk privately.’ _ And he smirked the entire damn time.

As they left Daccat’s Island behind them, the rest of the small islands in the frontier lands faded with them. They stopped for the evening at the last one before open air spanned out to the south in front of them, with only the barest glimpse of Crescent Island visible through his spyglass. And then, after the cookfire on the island had been put out and the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Gilder had climbed back aboard his captain’s yacht and pulled up a high proof bottle of Nasrian Rum and hunkered down in the galley for as long as he could before the heat of the evening and the sting of his buzz forced him abovedecks. 

He wasn’t surprised to find Aika lounging there, spread out on a deck chair with a tin mug full of something held to her chest while she looked up into the star-filled sky and smiled. She turned slightly as his boots creaked on the decking, and nodded once at him. 

“Evening, Gilder.” The red-haired woman waved her free hand lazily in his direction. “Pull up a chair.”

Gilder sighed and did so, going over to a deckbox and grabbing another foldout before moving beside her. He slumped onto the canvas and took another swig. “What are you drinking?”

“Smallbeer. You?”

Gilder rattled his bottle. “Rum. Want some?” 

She snorted. “Pass. I don’t want backwash.”

“ _ Mine _ , anyways.” He muttered, and ignored the glare she sent his way. “So. It’s Fina’s turn tonight then?” He drawled a touch more callously than he probably needed to. 

Aika let out a throaty chuckle. “Yu-p.” She droned back, popping the last letter with a loud smack of her lips, then drained the rest of her cup in two long swallows. “I told Vyse he’d better make sure she climaxes at  _ least _ twice before he does.”

“Thoughtful of you.” Gilder murmured.

“It’s her first time with Vyse.” Aika reasoned, running a fingertip along the rim of her now empty cup. “It needs to be special. But Vyse will take care of her. I’m pretty sure he’s going to enjoy himself.”

“Speaking from experience?” Gilder wagered. Aika chuckled again at that, and  held up a fingertip for him to be silent.

About half a minute passed before Fina’s resonant voice shattered the quiet night, a long moan that skyrocketed into the higher octaves.  _ “Moons! Vyse! Oh! Oh! MORE!” _

Gilder winced under the assault, but Aika just fell apart in wild laughter, free and unapologetic. 

“Yup.” The Blue Rogue grinned, once she composed herself. Gilder stared at her, and Aika gave him a wink. “Fina’s a  _ screamer _ .” 

Gilder took another long swig.

“Aww, what’s the matter, Gilder?” Aika teased him, pulling herself up into a slightly more upright position on her chair. She folded her arms over her stomach and flashed her teeth. “As many women as Vyse says you claim to have been with, I would’ve thought you were used to hearing noises like that.” 

“Not that loudly.” Gilder qualified, and he was stunned to hear a hint of longing in his voice. “And not that...honestly. She really doesn’t care who hears her, does she?”

“Not especially.” Aika hummed in agreement, unfolding her hands. “But I think it’s more likely that she isn’t thinking about who can hear her right now. Right now, her whole world is just Vyse.”

Gilder shook his head. “Unbelievable.”

“Not really.” Aika shrugged. “I was the same way last night. Fina mentioned you got a little embarrassed.” The warmth on her face faded. “She said that you didn’t think we were going to work out.”

“I don’t.” He told her. “On the surface, it seems fine, but...in a few weeks? In a month? Eventually, one of you is going to get jealous of the other two spending more time with each other. And it’ll fall apart.” 

“And what personal experience are you basing this on, exactly?” Aika countered crisply. “Ever been involved with two women at the same time before and it crashed and burned?”

“No.”

“Oh, then you must have had a personal account from a member of your crew where something went wrong?”

“Um. No?”

“Oh. So in other words, you just  _ think _ that what we have isn’t going to work, because your own stupid little head can’t make sense of it.” Aika concluded with a snarl. “The world’s bigger than the bits and pieces you’ve seen, Gilder. I was guilty of it as you are, until Fina showed me that Vyse wasn’t  _ wrong _ , and that I could love her just as much as I loved him.”

Gilder didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing and shrugged as noncommittally as he possibly could. But Aika wasn’t Fina, and her next dig proved it in spades.

“Clara’s a lovely woman.” Aika declared, and Gilder creaked his head on his neck to look at the young Blue Rogue. “A saint, really. She saved us, got us to Nasrad, warned us about the dangers, and made sure we knew where to get a room that would be safe.” Gilder knew where she was talking about, Fatima had been running the  _ Calm Sands _ for years, and even kept him and his boys out of trouble on occasion. He nodded vaguely, wondering where Aika was going with the mention of Calamity Clara.

“You don’t deserve her.” Aika growled out, and  _ there _ was the fire Gilder had been expecting.

“I haven’t been trying to  _ keep _ her.” Gilder pointed out. “I tell every woman I’m with I’m not looking for a commitment. Clara is the only one who refused to take the hint.”

“Vyse told me about your hangup.” Aika mused. “You’re afraid. You  _ hide _ . Sure, it’s a good idea in purpose; you don’t want to leave anyone a widow. But Clara’s not any woman. She’s a Blue Rogue, just like we are. She knows the risks.” Aika sat up even straighter and poked a finger at him. “So when she’s willing to make the attempt, and you’re not? It tells me you’re a coward.”

Gilder glared back at her. “Girl, I like Vyse. I can put up with you. But you don’t get to lecture me. Not about this.”

 

They were interrupted again by another loud moan from Fina, and then more strangled words that echoed up out of the ship.  _ “Ohhh, shit! Harder, Vyse! I’m so full, I’m, I’m, I...I’m so fucking close, I...Ah!…ohh!” _

She was lost in another long groan after that, and Gilder blushed madly. It had the opposite effect on Aika, who smiled warmly. “That’s my girl.” She said softly. When she looked back to Gilder, the anger was gone. Disappointment hung there. “You’ve been with Clara, right? Gave her the full treatment?”

Gilder nodded. Aika gestured to the other ship. “Was it like that, when you were with her?”

“Not quite.” Gilder admitted, and took another slug of rum to settle his nerves.

“Don’t you  _ want it _ to be like that?” Aika blasted him point blank.

Gilder knew he wanted to say yes. He didn’t say it out loud, but somehow, Aika knew it anyways. 

“All of us could die tomorrow. You, Clara, me, Fina, Vyse. Seems to me that if you were really free as you say you are, you’d go after that wonderful woman and keep her.”

“And be chained down?” Gilder snorted.

Aika huffed and shook her head. “Like talking to a wall.” She said mostly to herself. The redhead stood up and stretched her body out, popping her joints in satisfaction. “It’s the other way around, Gilder. But I’m done wasting my breath on you. Don’t come into Vyse’s cabin tonight, I’m shutting the door.”

“Going to try and ignore the sounds?”

“Nope.” Aika grinned broadly. “Going to give myself a hand and pretend I’m in there with them.”

 

Gilder drained the rest of the rum as Aika skipped away, a scowl marring his face.

 

***

 

_ 104 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


On the third day of the voyage back to Nasrad, they sailed past the larger island which Gilder had rescued Vyse from. Gilder was left alone to fly the yacht for about an hour while Vyse went and spoke with the girls, and then he clambered over and spent the rest of the day with Gilder as they took turns sailing the ship, talking, and running errands. That night, they made doubly sure that the ships were anchored together as there were no landmasses to tie off to, and then Vyse, to Gilder’s surprise, unfolded two deck chairs and set a small lamp between it before sitting down.

“You’re not...not going over there?” Gilder asked, waving a hand in the direction of the skiff which he thought of as the ‘Sex Ship’ in the back of his mind.

“Do you  _ want me _ to go over there?” Vyse countered, pulling out a flask from one of his coat pockets. Gilder did a double take and realized that the Blue Rogue must have swiped it from his yacht’s galley belowdecks. Vyse took a swig, cringed, and then handed the rest over to him. “Here. Don’t think I like this.”

Gilder scoffed and took a snort himself, and felt the familiar burn of Valuan rye whiskey slide down his gullet. “Give it a few years, kid. So. Tonight…”

Vyse chuckled. “The girls wanted to spend the night together.”

“Ah.” Gilder made a soft noise of acknowledgement. “And you’re okay with it.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Vyse shrugged, side-eying him. “You sound like you’re expecting a lecture.”

“Aika and Fina both thought I needed one.”

“Well, I’m not them.” Vyse chuckled, and rubbed at his chin as the evening began with soft, feminine moans being let out in unison. “Oh, that reminds me. You’re nearly out of alcohol. You’ve been hitting it pretty hard since we left Daccat’s tomb.”

“I wonder why that could be.” Gilder said flatly, and Vyse just smiled and dug around in another pocket. He came up with a pair of small objects linked together on a string about a foot long.

“I thought you might be needing these tonight.” Vyse suggested. “Aika uses earplugs when she’s working on an active moonstone engine or flywheel parts. She had an extra pair I convinced her to part with.” 

“That’s…” Gilder took the unexpected peace offering, and nodded slowly. “Thanks. It’ll be unusual to wake up without a hangover and a desperate need for tea and the hair of the huskra.” 

“I’ll take your word for it.” Vyse said, folding his arms over his chest and shutting his eyes. “Gilder?”

“Yeah, kid?”

“...Thank you.” And Vyse meant it, Gilder could hear the happy gratitude seeping from every pore of his relaxed posture. “If you hadn’t insisted on dragging me on this treasure hunt, I wouldn’t have found them. I’d still be moping around, worrying about them.”

“So what’s next for you, then?” Gilder asked, seeing a way to change the subject. 

Vyse shrugged. “We lost Drachma. We lost the  _ Little Jack _ . But we’ve still got two Moon Crystals and a mission to collect the rest and stop Valua. So, once we’re back in Nasrad? We’ll go from there. We’ll get a ship and keep on going.”

“That might be a little bit harder, considering that you were counting on Daccat’s treasure to finance a new ship.” Gilder pointed out. 

“True, but you know the Code. Blue Rogues never give up.” Vyse stayed undaunted in the face of uncertain times. “I’d ask if you were willing to let us tag along with your crew for a while, but...that might not be the best idea, considering things.”

Gilder had to laugh at that. “Probably. None of us would get any sleep, at the rate you’re going. And I don’t think you’d last with a no-canoodling policy.”

Vyse hummed at that. “I’m not sure I’d be willing to go without now.” He thought about it before tacking on an addition. “And the girls sure as hell wouldn’t.”

Gilder took another swig from his flask and looked up at the stars. With the soft whispers of the air currents passing by, broken up only occasionally by the sounds of the girls’ lovemaking inside of their cabin, it was almost peaceful. “You going to be okay, kid?”

“We’re going to be fine, Gilder.” Vyse said firmly. “We were friends before we were lovers, and…”

“Vyse, I was talking about  _ you _ , specifically.” Gilder sighed, interrupting him. “Are  _ you _ going to be all right?”

Vyse was young, but he was a Blue Rogue captain, anointed by Dyne the Blue Storm, blooded in battle against Valua, and a man in every sense of the word now. For all that he was still swept up in the enthusiasm of youth, that raging fire had been harnessed and tempered. It was what made him close his eyes, and Gilder could see him actually  _ thinking _ about his response. 

Gilder watched as Vyse tilted his head back and looked up at the stars. He could tell from the flicker of the young man’s eyes that he heard Aika and Fina take a reprieve and laugh together, and that it made his eyes soften. He watched Vyse smile.

“I was in a bad place for a long time, that’s true.” He said to Gilder, his voice almost a hushed whisper. “But you got me off of that island. And they pulled me from the abyss. I’m better than fine, Gilder. I’m at peace with myself, at long last. Whatever comes our way, I know I can handle it. I know  _ we _ can handle it.”

“You’ve got a good crew, Vyse, son of Dyne.” Gilder told him.

Vyse hummed again. “They’re more than a crew, Gilder.” 

Gilder considered the Blue Rogue’s words, and he finally started to feel something click into place, rough though the edges might be. It escaped him when the door to the skiff’s wheelhouse opened up, and Aika emerged, face flushed and nude aside from a sheet tastefully wrapped around her torso that left her feet and ankles bare. With her long red hair tousled and roughed up behind her, she grinned at the men and then crooked her finger at Vyse.

Vyse good-naturedly pulled himself up from the deck chair and gave Gilder a nod. “Duty calls.” He excused himself with a wink. “You might want to wear those earplugs now. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Gilder sighed and did as the young Blue Rogue advised him, although it didn’t muffle the happy shriek and laughter Aika let out as Vyse bounded over to the other ship and chased her down belowdecks. It would at least let him sleep once he was in his own cabin, which he headed to at a more sedate pace. 

When he set his head down onto his pillow, Gilder finally realized what all three of them had tried to tell him, in their diverse ways. It left him feeling a little humbled, and a little jealous.

He dreamed of Clara that night, and refused to talk about it at breakfast.

 

***

 

_ Nasrad _

_ 105 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


The Valuan Armada struck Nasrad early in the evening, when the skies were shifting from blues to reds as the sun dipped low enough to bathe the world in the color of blood. Vyse had screamed in anguish and then cursed up a storm when the combined firepower of a dozen ships’ worth of cannons turned the Nasultan’s palace into rubble. He had tried to warn the Nasultan, Gilder knew. He’d been there with the kid when they were admitted into the palace. When Vyse had told the fat, slovenly ruler surrounded by empty-headed harem girls that the Valuans were coming, that they would pass through the sky rifts of the North Danel Strait.

He had been there when the Nasultan dismissed them out of hand, said that Valua would come through the South Danel Strait as they had 20 years ago, or from the mainland to the north of their border, where they kept vigilant patrols that Gilder knew could stop a military fleet, but not lone pirate ships. He had consoled Vyse when, the warning haven been given and ignored, they set sail to the north to find Daccat’s treasure with dreams of riches and with Vyse clinging to the hope that someday, he would find Aika and Fina. 

They had found them, and Valua had found Nasrad undefended, its fleet guarding the South Danel Strait and the northern border. And Valua hadn’t come to conquer. It had come to ruin. They couldn’t fight back. They couldn’t stay. To stay was to invite death; once the palace had been destroyed, the Armada rained shells down on the rest of the city with indiscriminate destruction. The four of them fled towards the docks. If they could get to one of their ships...If they could  _ get away _ …

But as they escaped the walls of the burning city and ran down the grand stone steps of Nasrad’s harbor, they stumbled at the last. Every ship that had been moored there, merchant and private vessel alike, was shattered, on fire, and either listing or plummeting into the abyss of the Deep Sky far below. The warehouses along the docks blazed, fires out of control. They were trapped, with no way out.

And then things became infinitely worse.

 

“Fina. So, you are here.” The voice was male, a low resonant tenor that cut through the screams of the dying and the wash of flames. They all spun towards it, but Gilder hitched a little when he heard the Silvite woman let out a shuddering gasp. He looked at her, and saw her face drain of its color completely.

Out of the fires, unconcerned and unharmed by them, came a man a  half decade older than Vyse with silver hair and a Valuan high officer’s uniform. His sky gray eyes, speckled with a hint of blue, looked at them all like Gilder would examine an insect; a thing that offered no threat that he could never be bothered to care about.

“Ramirez.” Fina’s voice was nothing more than a hushed whisper, but it was heard perfectly by all of them. The girl trembled as she stood there, one hand squeezed into a fist over her heart and the other held low at her side, shaking like a leaf. 

The man had about a second’s worth of a smirk before he wiped it away. “You remember me. I’m  _ touched _ .”

“Ramirez, why are you  _ doing this?! _ ” Fina cried, finding her voice at last. 

To her question, Ramirez had no answer save to draw his sword, a long and slender broad rapier with silver moonstone that ran the full tang of the blade. “Vyse the Bold. I place you under arrest for piracy, multiple counts of assault on officers of the Valuan Armada, and high crimes against the Empire. You have one chance to surrender.”

_ Like hell the kid’s going to surrender _ , Gilder thought to himself. It was in his Code. Blue Rogues never gave up. And they never backed down from a greater danger. He could see Aika, wearing her thick leather glove on her left hand, reach up to take hold of her favored weapon’s hilt. And given the scowl Vyse wore and the direction his hands were headed, he was of the same mind.

But all of their preparations for battle came to a crashing halt when Fina let out an inarticulate scream of panic and dashed in front of her two lovers, arms held wide to bar their path.

“Don’t do it, Vyse!” She pleaded, and Gilder saw the  _ terror _ in her eyes and froze. “You can’t defeat him! He’ll  _ kill you! _ Do as he says, please!”

“Fina…?” Vyse said, shocked beyond measure. Gilder looked away from Vyse and to the Valuan officer named Ramirez. He took a longer look at the man, a  _ long, hard _ look. 

He was a swordsman, all right. Gilder used pistols, but he’d trained in swordsmanship briefly as a boy. The Valuan’s stance was perfect, not a flaw in his posture, not a lick of his body more exposed than it needed to be. From where he held his sword, he could direct the flow of any duel with ease, and there was a glimmer of power in his eyes, which flashed silver…

Vyse must have finally seen it as well, because he let out an angry grunt and ripped his arms away from the hilts of his swords. Gilder couldn’t see the look on his face, only his back, but there was enough tension there for the air pirate to make out that Vyse was fighting every instinct he had to  _ fight _ , to  _ run _ , to do  _ anything _ but what Fina had begged him with a face full of fear to do.

“We surrender.” Vyse growled out.

 

And Ramirez smirked again and sheathed his blade as an entire troop of Valuan soldiers in their heavy, clanking armor raced up from behind him and moved to encircle the two Blue Rogues, the Silvite, and Gilder. 

“Put them aboard the  _ Monoceros _ , in chains and under guard.” Ramirez ordered, walking away and not giving any of them a second glance, not even the girl who knew his name and looked at him like she was seeing a ghost. “Set sail for the Grand Fortress after we’ve finished bombarding Nasrad into a crater.”

Gilder was used to being in tight spots. He didn’t react as his pistols were confiscated from him, or as his hands were jerked behind his back and shoved into manacles. There would be ways out of this, with enough time. His crew would come through for him like they always did.

He kept his eyes on Vyse and his two women, saw the pained sting of hopelessness rattle between them all. They didn’t have anyone but each other, really. And given the way that Vyse and Aika looked at Fina, with an added layer of hurt misunderstanding on top of everything else they were feeling, Gilder wondered if they even had that anymore.

For once in his life, the air pirate didn’t want to be  _ right _ . Not about this. They deserved better than his fatalistic cynicism. Daccat had been right, they had found the greatest treasure in the world in each other.

A long-cold ember in his heart blazed to life as he swore a silent vow to help them keep it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you thought I was actually going to write out their first times with Vyse? Please. Use your imaginations. :) And besides, listening to it from the next ship over is infinitely more amusing.
> 
> That, or I didn't feel like upping the rating just yet. Whichever explanation is more plausible to you.


	19. What Happens In The Grand Fortress...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brought back to Valua and imprisoned within the Grand Fortress, Vyse faces an uncertain fate while he worries about the two women in his life. But while Fina is taken by Ramirez to idle in house arrest, Aika faces the unwelcome attentions of the Valuan Admiral Vigoro, who never takes no for an answer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger/Tag Warning: This chapter includes Attempted Rape, and it does not end well for him. I'm not tagging the story, because it's horribly, horribly unsuccessful. He gets what he deserves.

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

* * *

 

**Nineteen: What Happens In The Grand Fortress…**

 

_The Grand Fortress_

_Prison Block_

_107 Days After the Grand Fortress Escape_

_15 Minutes to Midnight_

 

            “I hate Valua.” Vyse muttered, tense and coiled as a spring as he paced by the small, iron-barred window of the cell that he and Gilder had been shoved into. “It’s always so dark and gloomy.”

            “Says something about the people who live here, doesn’t it?” Gilder harrumphed, leaning up against the wall. His casual attitude towards all of this, being arrested and imprisoned, being stripped of their weapons and the _fragging Moon Crystals_ and then separated…

            It only set Vyse even further on edge. He let out a low growl and glared at the man. “I don’t know where Aika is. I don’t know where _Fina_ is.”

            “Probably in their own cells.” Gilder mused. “And you getting worked up isn’t going to help matters.” Vyse could feel his teeth grinding together. “You’re hurting. You’re upset. You’re worried.” Gilder sighed and pushed himself off of the wall, adjusting his pince-nez glasses. “I get it, kid. But you should save your energy. Pacing won’t help anything. Having a plan will.”

            Vyse paused to glare at him. “And what plan do you have that will get us out of this mess before they execute us for piracy and the world succumbs to Valuan oppression?”

            Gilder just smiled back at him and pressed a finger to his lips, and Vyse huffed and stopped talking.

            The silence allowed him to hear something from outside of his window that was out of place. The flapping of a bird’s wings. The Blue Rogue turned to look at the source and almost got brained by a bird with bright green plumage that had no business around a Valuan prison. He swore and ducked out of the way as the familiar parrot dove in between the bars, squawked loudly as it circled inside of their cell, and then landed on Gilder’s shoulder.

            “Willy. There you are.” Gilder chuckled, and reached for the parrot’s leg. There was something tied to it, and Gilder made short work of the binding to reveal a curled fold of parchment that had been rolled around the bird’s leg. He read it, smiled, and then handed the note over to Vyse. “Like I said. Having a plan will.”

            Vyse read the note, stunned. “Your crew’s going to _attack_ the Grand Fortress?”

            “Starting at midnight. The _Claudia_ can make a bit of noise and get their attention. Of course, the goal isn’t for them to actually do any damage. They’ll lob off a few rounds, put the base on a war footing and then skedaddle when they launch their sentry ships. And while the base is all in a tizzy, that’s when we sneak out, grab a ship, and hightail it.”

            “Not without Aika and Fina.” Vyse reminded him firmly, and the older air pirate sighed and nodded, conceding the point. “And there’s still the small matter of getting out of this cell.”

            “Already taken care of.” Gilder said, producing the string that had been used to tie the note to Willy’s leg. No, not a string. A metal wire. “First rule of being a successful air pirate; learn how to lockpick with metal scraps.” He nudged Willy off of his shoulder, and the bird squawked and flew back out the window to make for the waiting pirate ship.

            Vyse looked at the note again while Gilder started to work on the lock of their cell. “Hey, there’s something written on the back here.” He blinked as he turned it over, then chuckled. “Well. Looks like there’s more backup than you thought coming.”

            “Oh?” Gilder said, only giving him half of his attention.

            “Yup.” Vyse read the note on the back aloud. _“To my darling Gilder. I will fight for your freedom as well! For you, my love! Your soul mate, Clara.”_

            Gilder’s hands twitched and he stopped working for a bit. “Are we _sure_ we have to leave?”

            “If you want to stay and die instead of seeing if you’re hiding from the best thing that you’ll ever have in your life, Gilder, fine. But I’ve got two women counting on me to pull a miracle out of thin air when I rescue them.” Vyse stowed the note and glared at him. “So open that damn lock already.”

            “Okay, okay. Geez. It was a joke, kid. Mostly.” Gilder sighed. It took him less than a minute to trip the tumblers in just the right way, and Gilder smirked as he stood up and swung the door open.

            He gestured for Vyse to take the lead. “Shall we?”

            “Gladly.” Vyse growled, and led the way. There were guards waiting in the next room.

            He needed an excuse to do something violent.

 

***

 

            Aika hadn’t taken kindly to being separated from Fina. Bad enough that they had been pulled free of Vyse and Gilder after docking at the Grand Fortress, but for the other woman to be dragged away by the guards? She’d almost lost it. Where had they taken her? _Why_ did they separate her? Was it because she was a Silvite, and the Valuans thought that they could get more information out of her? Or was it that new admiral flexing his muscle, the one that Fina had gone pale as death when he approached them in Nasrad?

            “Ramirez.” She growled out the name, and looked out of the barred window again into the dark skies of Valua. How did Fina know him? It wasn’t as if she’d spent a lot of time in the world. She’d been captured by Admiral Alfonso before her mission had even really gotten started, Aika remembered the blonde-haired girl telling her that. Fina hadn’t said a word more about Ramirez when they’d been captured, buttoning up tight and trying not to cry.

            Aika was trapped in a cell, death was staring her in the face either later today or tomorrow at the earliest, and…

            She grabbed the bars and pressed her forehead against them. “Fina.” She whispered.

 

            Movement outside of her cell made her grimace, and she looked over her shoulder to see a Valuan guard come over, leading a muscular man with a pompadour and a shirtless blue vest. “Is this where the air pirate girl’s being held?” Mr. Pompadour asked in a low rumble.

            Something about the man made Fina shiver and stand up a little straighter.

            “Yes, Admiral, but…” The guard said hesitantly. Aika flinched. _Another_ admiral? 

            “Don’t worry about it.” The taller man said, waving off the guard before grabbing the cell key and unlocking it. He handed the key back without ceremony as the door swung open. “Now run along and make yourself useful somewhere else.”

            “Sir, we aren’t really supposed to leave the prisoners unsupervised…” The guard tried again, looking between the admiral and Aika.

            The redhead couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her. _No_ , some part of her mind tried to yell. _No, don’t leave me here with him._

            But the admiral merely pushed the guard away with a light touch. “I can make it an order if you want. Relax, trooper. **I’ll** supervise the prisoner. _Very_ closely.”

            “...Very well. Sir.” The guard muttered, sparing Aika one last look through the visored helmet that hid his identity before walking off out of the cellblock and closing the door behind him.

            Then the admiral stepped into the cell’s thin light more fully, cocked one hand on his hip and stroked at his chin with the other.

            “I’m not telling you anything.” Aika snapped at him. “You already have the Moon Crystals, you’ve taken my friends away from me, what more do you want?!”

            The admiral said nothing, and she shivered again as she felt his eyes dance across the entire length of her body from feet to forehead. “Well, well. What do we have here?” He smirked. “Nice legs and curves in _all_ the right places. Mm. I’ve seen better, but she’s not too bad.”

            Aika flinched away and put an arm over her chest, in spite of her leather skirt and vest. “Who the hell are you supposed to be, you sick pervert?”

            “The name’s Vigoro.” The pompadoured man said, winking at her. “I’m the toughest man in the Armada. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me. The women I’ve been with love to brag.”

            Aika sucked in a shaky breath. “You stay away from me.” How many times had Dyne warned her to never be captured? How many times had Vyse given her a small dagger to slip into her boot before they went out on a mission with serious eyes? He’d warned her to ‘Never let the Valuans take you alive.’ And now it was clear why.

            But Vyse had surrendered, and every weapon, even the knife in her boot had been taken from her. And she was trapped in a prison cell with a man easily twice her size.

            “Aw, come on, Red.” Vigoro smirked, and he blew a kiss at her. “You know I’m the man of your dreams.” And had his hand glowed when he’d done that?

            And...She stumbled back against the wall, and her head was swimming. When had…

            “We were meant to be together.” Vigoro crooned, strolling towards her, and Aika found herself breathing rapidly, shallowly, and the room was spinning. His voice echoed in her ears. _What? What was…_

            He stopped in front of her, placing one hand against the wall beside her head. She tried to shake off whatever was affecting her, didn’t dare look at his face. Her eyes went to his trousers, and the unusual, abnormally sized lock on the front of them.

            “I’m sure you’ll grow to like me.” He said, his warm breath drifting by her ear and tickling the hair there. A soft noise followed it, and…

            _Moons, had she just moaned?_ Why was it so hard to...to think…

            “Whu...whu...what’s...a lock?” She stuttered out as her blurry eyes focused on the unusual accessory on the front of his pants.

            “Insurance.” Vigoro told her reassuringly, and she shivered as his other hand came up to stroke gently along the side of her face. “I’m a very large man. In every respect. And I don’t like to hurt women. So, I keep a lock on it. But they always take the key I offer them, and they always unlock it. Because they want what I can give them.” He blew against her ear again, and this time she heard herself moan as the room became terribly warm, and she felt her knees start to give out as a tightening ache she knew well built up between her legs, and in her breasts. “Just like you will, Red. I can feel it.”

            “Nn...nuh...Nuh, I won’t.” She tried to protest.

           

            Vigoro laughed softly, and his hand grabbed her chin, tilted her face up to look at him. “Yes, you will. You’re already succumbing to my power, Red. Feeling warm? Feeling weak? Having trouble focusing? It’s my power, baby. I make it _good_ for you. I make you want it, and I make it so no other man will _ever_ be as good.”

            Every word from his mouth made her breathing even more ragged, and she could feel moisture collecting in her mouth, and beneath as well. She started to crumple, but…

            But there were hands grabbing her, picking her up, pushing her back against the wall. The stone dug at the skin of her arms, but she didn’t have time to think on it before a warm, hot mouth engulfed her own.

            Before a warm, wet tongue slipped past her lips and poked and prodded at her own. Before she moaned against…

            Against who?

            Who was making her feel like this?

 

            “Oh, damn. You’re so hot.” A low, masculine voice rumbled against her. A hard weight pressed into her, keeping her pushed up against the wall, and then there were hands stroking all over her body. Over her arms. Up into the hair at the base of her scalp. Down the sides of her body, stroking along her legs, pulling them up…

            “Lean forward for me, baby.” The voice urged her on, pulling on her shoulder even as it asked. She was so warm, so dizzy, and it was so hard to focus...And it felt so _good_. She slumped forward, not sure if she’d done it herself or if...if whoever was doing this had just pulled her forward.

            Then she was being pulled away from the cold stone of the wall, picked up like she weighed nothing. The impact of being thrown onto the room’s bare cot, and…

            _Hands, hands tracing her chest, and she groaned…_

            Cool air passed over her body, and she arched up slightly as the unexpected breeze passed over her breasts, her navel.

            “Moons, you’re gonna be so _good_ , Red.” She felt lips press down on her throat, going lower as she threw her head back. The lips went lower, closed around one of her buds, while a hand took the other, and…

 

            **No.**

            _No? But…_

            **NO.**

            _But it felt so good, and…_

            **NO!**

            Why...Why was…

 

            It was the smell that cleared the haze of her addled mind first. It was too deep. Too sharp. Too musky. It wasn’t Vyse’s smell. It wasn’t the soft, flowery notes of Fina’s smell either, and she knew that one so intimately…

            “Open up for me, baby…” The voice rumbled against her chest before the lips got to work again, and she let out a soft gasp as fingers worked underneath her skirt.

            _But it was wrong._

_Those weren’t Fina’s lips._

_Those...those weren’t Vyse’s fingers._

           

            **_That wasn’t Vyse’s voice._**

 

            “Oh, you’re ready. You’re so wet and ready for me, baby.” That voice, that _wrong voice_ cracked the glass that had her mind trapped in the smoky haze of spirit-infused pheromones.

            She felt something cold and metallic being pressed into her hand. A key.

            “What do you say, baby?” The voice asked her with a chuckle. “Ready to play with Vigoro?”

            **_Vigoro._**

 

            She couldn’t move yet, and the haze was still there, but she knew now. She knew why this felt so wrong. Why her mind was screaming at her.

            He guided her hand and the key down to his waist. To the lock. She heard the mechanism click loudly, heard him sigh as he pushed his trousers away.

            **_That. Was. Not. VYSE!_**

 

            The haze cleared as she dropped the key, which clattered to the floor. She took in a sharp breath, and the dizziness of the room faded. The clarity in her eyes returned as she stared at what was **not** Vyse, right in front of her.

            “Go ahead and touch it.” Vigoro urged her with a grin.

 

            Fire burned in Aika’s eyes, and unseen by the Valuan admiral, it sprang to life in her hand. He wanted her to touch it? Fine.

            So she did.

 

***

 

            Vyse and Gilder had fought through the guards in their own cellblock, stolen the weapons from them after, and gone running with a stolen lift key. One of the guards had been thoughtful enough of the situation after being overpowered by _two unarmed air pirates_ to give them the information they needed, which was what floor they had to access to find where Aika was being held. They heard the screaming out of her cellblock right as they stepped off of the elevator, high-pitched screaming, in the upper reaches of the human vocal range.

            Vyse bellowed her name and charged on, gutting the only guard on the cellblock who had been startled to see them coming. He threw the dying man aside and barreled for the door, using the second-rate Valuan sword and overcharging the moonstone core within the blade to make it ignite in blue fire. It ate away at the sword and corroded it heavily, a side effect of shoddy mass production, but it lasted long enough to turn the last barrier between Vyse and his waiting shipmate and lover into massive chunks of rubble.

            He pulled up short when they came through, stunned at what they saw. It wasn’t what he expected at all. He had thought to find Aika being tortured for information, or being attacked, but…

            But Aika stood tall, her face a rictus of fury, her eyes blazing as red as the fire in her hand cupped around a Valuan’s…

            Behind him, Vyse heard Gilder bend over and vomit up loudly and continuously. The sight made him sick as well, because the squeals of pain were coming from the naked man who Aika had a tight grip on. She was stripped down to her waist, and Vyse checked to make sure Gilder wasn’t watching before he raced over.

            “You don’t get to touch me!” Aika howled, and the blaze in her fist around the Valuan’s berries increased. “You’ll **never touch any woman again!”** The pain must have finally overwhelmed him as he succumbed and went silent, and Aika stepped back as he collapsed to the floor, heaving for air from a face as red as her hair was.

            She breathed, and Vyse took a step towards her. Aika screamed again and kicked at Vigoro, crushing her boot into his chest to the sound of the sickening crack of ribs. She kept kicking him, kept screaming, her eyes feral and unchanging.

            Vyse charged at her, forced her back away from the broken and shattered man, wrapped her arms around her. Covered her.

            She kept screaming, thrashed in his arms, tried to kick at Vyse as well. He endured it, holding her tight, taking her wild blows.

            “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Vyse kept saying. “It’s over, Aika. It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

            He wasn’t sure what finally got through to her. His voice? His smell? The feel of his arms around her? It took around half a minute, but she finally stopped thrashing, started breathing again, gasping for air.

            She came back to herself. Vyse finally loosened his grip, let her pull back. Aika’s wild brown eyes stared into Vyse’s.

            “Vyse?”

            He smiled at her. “Hey, Aika.”

            The shock wore off. Her panic set in, and her head swiveled around. “He...He didn’t…”

            “It’s okay.” Vyse said, raising his hands to cup her face. He held her face still. “Aika, it’s okay. You’re not hurt.”

            “He…” Aika stammered, tears finally coming to her eyes. She tried to push him away. “Don’t touch me!” But Vyse just let go of her face and grabbed her hands. “Vyse, I’m not...He…”

            “He didn’t.” Vyse cut her off, refusing to look away. He didn’t dare. Not now, not here, not when… “Aika, he _didn’t_. And even if he had? After I’d _killed him_ for it? It wouldn’t change how I feel about you. Not ever.”

            Her face crumpled in at that. “I…”

            “You are not hurt. You are _not_ damaged goods.” He insisted, cutting her off again and kissing her forehead. “You are not broken, and you are not weak, and it is not. Your. Fault. I love you. Fina loves you. Nothing anyone could do to you, or to me, or to her, will ever change that. Do you understand me?”

            He hoped she did. He hoped that he’d said enough to get the point across. He would _not_ have her feeling broken, or soiled, or used. She had fought her rapist off, fought him off and cooked his balls to a cinder.

            “I didn’t let him.” She sobbed, and finally gave in, burying her face into his chest. “I swear, I didn’t let him…”

            “I know.” He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her again. “I know. You’re a Blue Rogue. You’d never let anyone touch you if you didn’t want them to. I’m so proud of you.”

            Aika wasn’t one for wild dramatic wailing, but her shoulders shook fiercely, and if there was the odd sob as she kept her face buried into his chest, Vyse never said anything about it.

 

            Gilder let out a soft groan as he picked himself up, and Vyse shot him a warning look. The older air pirate waved off his concern and kept his eyes averted, kneeling down beside the disabled rapist.

            “Shit. This is Vigoro.” Gilder said. “Head of the Third Fleet. A real piece of work.” Gilder felt around the man and exhaled. “He’s alive, for now. But I don’t think he’ll ever be able to father children again, even if they get to him in time to work some healing magic.”

            “Good.” Aika mumbled loudly.

            “Gilder, you mind…” Vyse asked, waving a hand at him.

            “Yeah, yeah.” Gilder got up, wiped away some last traces of vomit from his chin, and turned around to go rifling through the admiral’s clothes for valuables. Vyse brought one of his hands to wipe the tears away from Aika’s face.

            “You okay?”

            “No.” Aika admitted with a cracked little laugh. “Do I have to be?”

            “After this?” Vyse muttered, grabbing her hand. “No. No, you be as angry or as hurt as you want to be. Just as long as you remember I’m not going anywhere, that you’re not alone. I’m right here with you.” He leaned in to kiss her, and Aika panicked and pulled away.

            “I...Sorry, Vyse, I…” Her eyes fell down. “I probably taste like _him_.”

            He refused to let her do this to herself. Vyse stroked a finger along the side of her chin to coax her to look up, then gave her a kiss on the mouth. Just a quick peck. Just long enough to test her fear.

            “Hm.” He licked his lips. “Nope. Just you. And you’re as sweet as ever.”

            Her smile that time was much more genuine.

 

            “If you kids are done, we might want to think about getting out of here soon.” Gilder said loudly. Vyse turned to look at him and found the other pirate very intentionally looking out and away from them. He held up something out away from him. “I found something in Admiral McRapey’s pants pocket; looks like he had the keycard that’ll allow us to access the cannonworks. From there, we’d be able to make out way out of the Grand Fortress.”

            “Okay.” Vyse said. “But we need to find Fina first. We’re not leaving without her.”

            Gilder chuckled. “I could have guessed you’d say that, kid. If she’s not here in the cellblocks, though…”

            “They must have taken her elsewhere on the base.” Aika cut in, separating from Vyse and reaching for her undergarments and her shirt and leather vest. “And I’ll bet you anything that that miserable jackass _Ramirez_ is keeping her close by.” She quickly slipped her clothes back on, sighed, and cleared her throat. “I’m decent, Gilder. Thank you.”

            “No problem.” The air pirate still turned his head slowly, visibly relaxing once he confirmed that her girls weren’t on display. “I tried to memorize the layout of the Grand Fortress on our way in. There was a map we passed by as they were escorting us away from the docks. If that Admiral Ramirez decided to take Fina with him, we’ll need to cut across the cannonworks and take an exterior elevator to the upper level.”

            They walked out, and Aika scooped up a dead guard’s stun baton as they passed the cooling body. The base shuddered a bit from impacts and explosions, and Aika glanced to the outer walls as dust fell down from the ceiling.

            “What’s that?”

            “Our distraction. It must be midnight.” Vyse said, giving her a side hug before running ahead to the elevators. He winced as the one on the right glowed from being in use. “Gilder, we’re using the left elevator! Let’s move!”

 

***

 

            A tremendous explosion tore through one of the massive cannons built into the outer wall of the Grand Fortress as the two Blue Rogues and one friendly air pirate rode up an external elevator. It made the entire base shudder, and Vyse clutched at the guardrail as Aika grabbed hold of him and squeezed.

            “The hell was _that?_ ” Vyse shouted, watching smoke and fire billow out from...A very familiar cannon. “Wasn’t that the cannon we ran through to escape the cannonworks?!” And he looked back to Gilder, who seemed entirely too smug and self-satisfied. “You booby trapped it, didn’t you.”

            “Keeps them occupied putting out fires they weren’t expecting, now doesn’t it?” Gilder chuckled. He clapped a hand on Vyse’s shoulder and looked up along the side of the wall. “Besides, we’re going to need all the distractions we can manage for this next leg. Trying to infiltrate the living quarters of the admiralty? I can think of cleaner suicides.”

            Beside them, the massive wall full of cannons suddenly groaned and began to bulge out along the side, taking the cannons and the damaged section of wall with it.

            Gilder hummed aloud. “I guess that blast has them more worried than I thought. They’re changing the wall to its defensive posture. That’ll take them a few minutes to make the shift. Makes it our best chance to get out of here.”

            “We’re not _leaving_ without Fina.” Aika snapped at him.

            “I know, I know.” Gilder chuckled. “I get it. The three of you love each other. If our trip back to Nasrad didn’t make that clear, I think this whole _debacle_ has.” He glanced over to Aika. “How _did_ you snap out of it, anyways? Every story I’ve ever heard about that bastard said that no woman could resist his...his charms.”

            “He’s not Vyse.” Aika told Gilder harshly, wrapping her arms around Vyse from behind him and leaning her chin over his shoulder. “And he _definitely_ wasn’t Fina. I…” She shut her eyes. “I don’t know how to describe it. It just felt _wrong_. And once I figured that out, I could fight it. And then I was myself again.”

            Vyse chewed the inside of his cheek for a bit at her confession, puzzling it over. “If he was using magic on you...maybe it wasn’t strong enough to break through love?”

            Gilder laughed aloud at that. “And here I was thinking Blue Rogues didn’t go in for fairy stories. The power of true love breaking enchantments?”

            Aika giggled a bit and squeezed Vyse even harder. “I like it.”

            “I thought you didn’t like girly things, Aika.”

            “Idiot.” She mumbled without any heat. “I am a girl.”

            Vyse grabbed her hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it softly. “No. You’re a woman.”

            Aika blushed a bit. “Idiot.”

            “Your idiot.” Vyse turned his head to the side to grin at her.

            “ _Our_ idiot.” She countered, and pecked a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Gilder just sighed, stepping off of the lift when it finally came to a stop.

            “Come on, lovebirds.” He grumbled, drawing a pair of borrowed moonstone pistols he’d swiped from an armory they’d passed by through the cannonworks. “We’ve still got the third tire on your tricycle to rescue yet.”

 

***

 

            It was a close thing, avoiding the searchlights around the exterior of the Grand Fortress as they made their way up the last few floors to the habitation level of the admiralty. After they did so though, they found themselves trying not to breathe in a side corridor while _Ramirez himself_ gave a mission briefing to an entire squad of Valuan troopers before they took off for the main elevator. The young admiral was even thoughtful enough to order two troopers to remain behind and ‘guard the Silvite’ before he disappeared with the rest.

            Vyse and Aika had given each other a look of pure ferocity after that, and Gilder must have sensed how angry they were, because he just took a step back and let them lead. The fight after they stormed out into the hallway was quick, brutal, and efficient, giving neither guard the chance to raise the alarm. And then they busted into the wardroom that the guards had been in front of…

            Where an unharmed Fina whirled around in surprise from where she’d been standing by the window. She turned, and smiled at them.

            “Fina!” Aika yelled, and raced over to grab the other girl and hug her tight. Vyse was hot on her heels, and Gilder stayed by the door, watching for trouble. “You’re okay!” The redhead said in relief. “Thank the Moons, you’re okay!”

            “I’m so glad you’re here.” The Silvite said, holding her back.

            “Did you think we wouldn’t come for you?” Vyse asked her.

            “No, never.” Fina quickly dismissed the idea. “I knew you would come for me. The last time, I didn’t think anyone would. But this time?” She smiled and kissed them both on the cheek. “I knew you would be here.”

            “Good, great, we’re all together.” Gilder said, looking out the doors again. “Might I suggest we _get going_ while we still have a chance to…”

            And then the alarms started going off.

 

            The reunion cut short, Vyse looked to Aika and Fina and was unsurprised to see both of them just looking back with hard faces and determined nods.

            “Time to move!” Gilder shouted, and they all turned and followed him, running flat out.

 

***

 

            The troops in the Grand Fortress might have been running scattered before with ships on the outside of the base lobbing shells at the wall and one of the cannons ‘malfunctioning’ and blowing itself apart. But now the wail of the alarms clearly delineated an internal danger rather than an external one, and the hounds were closing in. They’d made their way towards the docks, hoping to find a ship of some kind when there came a loud _clang_ that resounded through the entire base, followed by a sobering announcement.

            _“Grand Fortress Gate is now closed and locked in defensive position! All soldiers, be on the lookout for intruders! Consider them armed and extremely dangerous!”_

            “Shit.” Gilder hissed, pulling up to a stop in the middle of a wide-open space with doors and elevators all around them, and a cargo lift ahead of them which was inactive. Vyse swiveled left and right, on the lookout for attackers or the Valuan’s mechanical sentries to come racing in to close the noose.

            “Which way do we go, Gilder?” He snapped, brandishing another poor-quality Valuan blade.

            “I don’t remember!” Gilder yelled back, putting the butt of one pistol up to the side of his head and grimacing. “Damnit, I only saw that base map for all of five seconds. We have to pick a door and hope for the best!”

            “But what if it’s the wrong door?” Aika demanded. “We choose wrong, the entire base pours out and we die here!”

            Nobody got the chance to answer her question, because that was when the large service lift, large enough for a tank, stirred to life with its control panel glowing brightly.

            “Quick! Get on the lift!” A voice shouted from the floor above them, just high enough to cut through the wailing of the alarms. They all jerked their heads towards it, and Vyse weighed the odds.

            “What the hell, it’s as good an option as anything else right now. Everybody get on!” He ordered, and they moved. Gilder was the last to get on, and he had to jump at the last second to clear the edge, as the lift started up in a hurry right before.

            The wailing of the alarms and the bright flood lights of the floor beneath them faded away as the service elevator came up to the floor above them. Only dim side lights lit up an empty corridor with no troopers or soldiers waiting for them. Nobody was waiting for them, except for one young man in his mid-twenties, sharply dressed in a uniform wholly unlike any other admiral or soldier they’d ever come across. Underneath a beret lay a well-trimmed head of blonde hair, and a stoic face.

            There was a sword strapped to his waist; a rapier, if the pommel and handguard were any indication. A nobleman’s weapon.

            “So. You are Vyse the Blue Rogue? Son of Dyne the Blue Storm? Terror of the Valuan Armada?” The man asked calmly.

            Vyse exhaled and stood a little taller, holding his own borrowed sword low and away. “They give me a lot of names.”

            That got a small smile from the other fellow, who seemed unconcerned as Aika, Fina, and Gilder stood to reinforce their friend. “Yes, they do. My name is Enrique.”

            Gilder let out a strangled noise and stumbled a bit. “Vyse? This...this is the _Prince_ of the Valuan Empire.”

            “Shit.” Vyse groaned, while Aika started and gasped. “Okay, did we just walk into a trap?”

            “No, you didn’t.” Enrique quickly dissuaded their first thought. “And yes, I am the prince. I determined after you escaped from your cells, that you might make your way to the docks to try and steal a ship and get away from the Grand Fortress.” He hesitated. “I...I heard about the condition of Admiral Vigoro while I was making preparations. I’d made my way to your cell first, Mr. Vyse, and found you missing. I’m not fully versed in the entire command structure of the Admiralty, but I have heard disturbing rumors in the past.” He made a face as he went on. “Did he behave in an ungentlemanly manner?”

            “Yeah.” Aika growled, not over it. Vyse looked back at her and gave her an understanding nod. She wouldn’t be over it for a while yet. “You could say that.”

            Enrique exhaled. “Then I shall say nothing of his injuries. They were well deserved. There was a time that such actions would have seen a man gelded for the crime. An Admiral of the Valuan Armada should know better.”

            “Are you trying to say that all Valuans aren’t power-hungry jerks hellbent on domination?” Aika demanded.

            “Yes.” Enrique replied crisply, with a tongue clearly versed in debate and argument. “Are all air pirates cold-blooded killers who strip captured vessels to the keel and throw prisoners overboard into the abyss?”

            “Not Blue Rogues.” Vyse growled.

            Enrique smiled again. “And nor me either, Vyse. Let us each measure the other by the weight of our actions taken directly, instead of the brush of generalizations.”

            “...Fair enough.” Vyse conceded, lowering his sword a bit more. He looked around the dark space. “So why’d you bring us here?”

            “Because you intend to escape Valua and continue your mission to blunt the expansionist dreams of the Empire.” Enrique explained. “And **_I_** intend on making sure you do.” He waved a hand at them and turned about on his heel. “Please. Come this way.” He walked on without checking to see if they were following him.

            “Okay, explain this to me. Why is the Prince of Valua helping us get out of here?” Aika hissed to Vyse, not nearly as quietly as she might have hoped.

            Vyse just shook his head. “I don’t know. But right now? I say we follow him and find out. It’s better than anything we had planned at this point.”

            “Hey, I had a plan!” Gilder protested, as they started off after Enrique.

            “You had _half_ a plan.” Fina corrected him. “Perhaps Prince Enrique has the other half. I’ve seen him before. He always protested the heavy-handedness of the Armada. It did not win him any favors from the Admiralty.” She paused, her footsteps clacking against the metal plating of the floor as they went on. “Or his mother.”

            Hoping for the best and prepared for the worst, the four former prisoners of Valua walked into the darkness after the Empire’s sole Prince and heir. They were wide awake in the dead of night.

            All of them prayed silently to the Moons that they would endure to see a morning under unclouded skies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the one scene in the game that drove me nuts on reflection five years after I first played it, grew up, and realized that the developers/writers/programmers tried to make prison rape into a joke here. Well, it's not a joke, it's not funny, and I'm not glossing over it. This is Aika, the girl of fire, and nobody is touching her she doesn't want touching her. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea that a man's tenders could get brutalized or removed for the act? Then I've done my job. Vigoro is a terrible character that might have been okay if they hadn't done this whole "He visits her jail cell and tries to have his way with her" joke. In the game, it's a setup so you can feel like a big strong man rescuing your woman from the clutches of a blackguard. Screw that. Aika can rescue herself.


	20. Let Them Tremble When They Hear Our Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of the Crown Prince of Valua, Vyse, Fina, Aika and Gilder make to escape the Grand Fortress for a second time in dramatic fashion. And in the aftermath, as Vyse contemplates where to go next, Gilder struggles with the most meaningful choice in his life; To keep on running, or to finally stop.

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Twenty: Let Them Tremble When They Hear Our Names**

 

_ The Grand Fortress _

_ Dockyards _

_ 108 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ The Witching Hour _

  
  


Fina didn’t know where Prince Enrique was taking them. This part of the base was one she’d never gotten the chance to see, on this trip or the last. Through a side door from the main hallway, the beret-wearing royal had led them down a long corridor which flexed slightly underfoot as they passed through it. On the other side, there was another hallway of metal, but much more confined than the rest of the base had been. She had her suspicions as Enrique guided them along under the glow of faint emergency lighting, but it wasn’t until they went up several flights of metal stairs and through an ornate doorway lined with electrum plating that it became clear.

He had brought them aboard an empty ship. And now they all stood on a bridge more impressive, more ornate, more  _ dangerous _ than any other ship she had been on during her time on Arcadia. Brilliantly polished yellow brass ran around the whole of the room in wide stripes, around the reinforced moonstone glass panel windows and the consoles.

“You’ve probably already figured out that we’re on the bridge of a ship.” Enrique said, moving to stand beside the pilot’s telemotor. He set down a duffel bag that he’d grabbed after rescuing them, sighing as the weight of it settled onto the large cartographer’s table placed in the center of the bridge. Fina’s eyes shot over to Vyse, who was still gaping at the sight of their surroundings. Gilder was almost as gobsmacked. Aika…

Fina found herself glancing to her lover and bedmate the most. Aika was almost never reserved out in the open, around others. Her exuberance was her defense and the face she showed to the world. But she was so quiet now, and her eyes…

Some hurt Fina didn’t know about was in her eyes. Aika smiled at her, spoke to her openly, and there was still love there, still boundless trust. But something had happened, likely with Admiral Vigoro if that veiled conversation earlier was accurate, and it ate at Aika in the quiet.

“Say hello to the  _ Delphinus _ , the newest member of the Armada.” Enrique went on, oblivious to the ruminations of the Silvite’s concerns. “Construction was started approximately one year ago; it was meant to be my personal flagship. It’s heavily armored, can match the top speed of all of our cruisers with its four rear-mounted impellers, is twice as long as any existing ship of the line at 1200 feet, and has four gravity-mounted rotating turrets, capable of firing shells up to three feet in diameter. In addition, it possesses eight torpedo launchers along the forward deck and a brand new weapons system, a very powerful main cannon De Loco bragged about. A Moonstone Cannon?”

At the name, Fina jerked forward and made a startled noise. “A Moonstone Cannon? Like the one he used in Ixa’taka?”

Enrique blinked in surprise. “I believe so? The one installed on the  _ Delphinus _ is a refined version of the prototype the  _ Chameleon _ was equipped with. He bragged once that this one was twice as powerful.”

“This ship is incredible.” Vyse breathed.

Enrique smiled again, sadly this time. “It’s just the prototype. The Admiralty is planning on creating an entire fleet of  _ Delphinus _ -class ships. With them, Valua would be able to take over the world with ease.”

Gilder strolled by the ship’s engine order telegraph, whistling lowly as he stroked at his chin. “With Nasrad out of the picture...there’ll be nothing standing in their way.” He turned to look at Enrique and smirked. “But this is all beside the point, your royalness. You help us break out, you take us aboard your newest ship and you brag about what it can do...What’s your plan here?”

“I’ve been wondering about that myself, actually.” Aika added softly, and Fina tried to get a bead on her emotional state right after that.

Enrique sighed and stared down at the deck plating for a while after that. 

“My plan is for you to take this ship and  _ stop them. _ ” The Prince growled out, finally looking up and meeting their surprised faces. “And I want you to take me with you.” 

Fina and Aika gasped. Vyse just blinked before offering a flat, “What?”

“Valua has been taking over other countries by force, destroying their lands, and murdering the innocent.” Enrique went on. He was so serious, so earnest, that Fina wondered how he could be related to the Empress Teodora, a woman of blind ambition and greed. “I am the Prince of the Empire. Their blood is on my hands. I’ve done all I can to convince my mother and Galcian that Valua’s actions are wrong, but they refuse to change their ways.” His gloved hands clenched into tight fists, and his mouth warped into something akin to a snarl. “Everything I have tried has failed. I am  _ powerless _ to stop them. But you weren’t powerless, Vyse. You and your friends have stood against the Empire and triumphed twice over with limited means, a brave heart, and endless daring. My only chance at redemption is to aid you.” He then went a step farther, dipping into a formal bow. “If I must...I will surrender myself to you as your prisoner.” And then he fell silent, waiting for the decision. 

Fina and Aika looked at each other for about half a second before they both turned to Vyse, deferring to their captain’s command. 

Vyse considered it for only two seconds before he walked forward and stood in front of Prince Enrique, using a hand to push the older man up to a full stand. “I’m not taking prisoners, Enrique. If you want to come with us...you’re going to have to do it as a Blue Rogue.” And then he smiled. “Besides, you’re giving us a ship. At this point, it’s almost tradition.” He held out his hand, and Enrique broke out into a grin, shaking it eagerly.

“I will gladly do my part as a member of your crew.”

“Don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Vyse, a captain in the Blue Rogues.” Vyse chuckled.

“Enrique. Self-exiled Prince of Valua.” Enrique countered. “I’ve heard interesting things about you, captain.”

“Good things?”

“Galcian wants your head on a pike.” The Prince replied. “It doesn’t get much better than that, I think.”

“I didn’t think I’d ever be serving on the same ship as a Valuan. Much less a prince.” Aika mused, smiling at Fina. Then her face fell. “But the Moon Crystals...Valua still has them” 

“ _ Technically _ , Valua does.” Enrique said, laughing softly as he went over to his duffel on the table. He unzipped it and dug around for a bit before coming up with the Green and Red Moon Crystals in his hands. “The moment my last plea fell on deaf ears, I grabbed them. My mother insisted on keeping them in the palace; it made retrieving them easy enough. I planned on destroying them, but…” He shrugged. “Perhaps you will find a better use for them than Galcian and my mother intended.” 

Vyse took the Moon Crystals with hushed reverence, managing to nod his head in thanks. Gilder was more verbose.

“You’re a magnificent bastard, you know that? Keep this up, you’ll be a regular air pirate in no time, prince.” 

Vyse gave the Moon Crystals over to Fina, then looked back to the prince. “Okay. We’ve got the Moon Crystals back, we’ve got a ship...we’ve just got to get out of here now. Do you know the best way to manage it?”

“I can get us out of the docks, but once we’re in the main shipping corridor the Grand Fortress will figure out what we’re up to.” Enrique said. “The ship also isn’t completed yet; the concussive armor plating isn’t installed, the engines haven’t been fully tuned, and our munition stores are limited to what they had stocked for the shakedown cruise.”

“We’ve done more with less.” Vyse resolved confidently, and Fina shivered from the commanding voice he used. “Everybody, find a station. Gilder? I want you to figure out how to work the guns. We’re going to need them.”

Fina watched as Gilder chuckled and went to take his station. Vyse went for the helm while Enrique went over to communications. Aika, after a pause, came back to herself. “I’d better go down and check on the engines.” She said with a weak laugh. “It’d be bad if we lost power before we even got away.” She walked fast after that, heading for the door. Vyse watched her go with open concern on his face, and that sealed it for Fina.

She walked after the woman who held half of her heart, because something was wrong. 

The Silvite needed answers.

 

***

 

Down in the engine room, Aika was a whirlwind of motion. It was all Fina could do to keep pace with her.

“The size of these driveshafts must be  _ enormous _ .” The redhead said to herself, eyes flitting from the two story high reciprocating engines. Gantry walkways and metal stairs gave the space the feel of a cavernous interior, and the glow of the floodlights made it seem as though they were in a warehouse, if not for the sloped sides and carefully mounted support struts keeping everything together. She and Fina stood alongside the higher mounted turbine on the starboard side as Aika checked the readings and consulted the technical manuals helpfully left hanging from the engine’s monitor.

“Aika.”

“Yeah, one second Fina. Kind of busy here.” Her lover didn’t even  _ look _ at her now. Fina knew her moods well, and there were times where Aika lost herself in the work. She was trying to make it seem that way again, but there was a frenzy in her movements that hadn’t been there before. Her hands had a tremor that excitement had never caused in them before. Something was wrong. Something was  _ wrong _ , and Aika wouldn’t tell her what.

“Are you mad at me?” Fina blurted out the first thing, knowing that it was likely wrong. She asked it anyways, because Ramirez stumbling back into her life, into  _ their _ lives, had been problematic. Vyse had been so hurt when Fina had begged him to surrender. He’d done it, but he’d been hurt by it. “About Ramirez, I...I’m going to tell you both, I  _ swear _ . My people thought he was lost, but when I saw him with the Valuans…”

“Later.” Aika cut her off, setting the book down and punching in a few buttons, grunting as she looked to the monitor before walking briskly in the opposite direction to the next reciprocating engine.. “I’m upset, but I’m not mad at you. Okay? More worried. There are things we need to know that we don’t. I just thought that after...I thought you were done keeping secrets from us.”

“I am.” Fina promised with pain in her voice as she trailed after her. “I  _ swear _ , Aika, I’m going to tell you everything. No more secrets.”

Aika finally came to a stop once she reached the last engine and quickly ran it through the same startup sequence. “Good.” Fina reached a hand out and touched her shoulder, and Aika made a strangled noise of surprise and flinched away from her, whipping her head around with wide, panicked eyes.

Fina’s heart sunk. She’d  _ never _ done that before, not even back when they had been fighting. Aika must have realized her mistake, because even though her face was white as a sheet, she managed an uneasy laugh. “Sorry, I...We’re in a Valuan ship. I guess I’m still a little jumpy.”

“You’re never this jumpy.” Fina countered, trying to quell the pit in her stomach. “You are a warrior, forged in the fires of blood and battle. You taught  _ me _ how to fight, and you are always in control. Or you were. What happened, Aika? I’m scared.”

“We got arrested, thrown in prison.” Aika deflected, going back to her readouts. “We lost  _ everything _ . We’re not free yet, either.”

“Something happened to  _ you _ , Aika.” Fina went on, careful not to touch her again. She sidled around to stand beside her lover, clasped her hands together low by her waist, and kept staring at Aika until the redhead finally broke and looked at her. Aika tried to school her features, managed it until Fina asked her second question. “What did Vigoro do to you that was bad enough that Enrique would have  _ castrated him _ ?” Aika’s face crumbled, and Fina sucked in a sharp breath of air. “Oh.  _ Oh _ . Did he…”

“He didn’t.” Aika trembled. “He almost did. I stopped him.”

Fina moved slowly, making sure Aika knew that it was her, knew what she was doing. She stepped up to her friend, her battle sister, her lover, pulled her into a tight hug. “It will be okay.”

“No it won’t.” Aika whispered, shaking like a leaf. “I can’t...You touched my shoulder, and I thought it was  _ him _ . I know you love me. I know Vyse does, he promised. He kissed me after, promised me that I wasn’t  _ tainted _ . But…”

“Knowing you’re fine, and  _ feeling _ like you’re fine are two different things.” Fina concluded, gently stroking the other woman’s back. “Time, Aika. You need time to recover. But you will recover. Because you’re my Aika, and my Aika is so strong.” Aika didn’t move, and Fina squeezed her again. “Breathe.” Aika breathed. “Now say it. Say that you’re going to be all right.”

“But I…”

“Say it. Believing it comes later.”

Aika closed her eyes. “...I’ll be all right.”

Fina made a soft humming noise. “Good.”  She smiled, gave Aika a peck on her cheek, and pulled away. “Now. Finish checking these engines, so we can get back up to the bridge and launch.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Aika smiled weakly, and got back to work. Fina kept smiling until she had slipped back into her usual focus.

Only when she was sure Aika wasn’t watching her did Fina turn away and look towards the bow, hidden beyond the end of the engine compartment. She imagined the Moonstone Cannon, a weapon of pure destruction that Ramirez must have told Galcian and De Loco about. Silvite technology, reconstructed from haphazard musings with no real technical data.

Her face darkened into a rictus of pure rage. 

They had hurt Aika. 

_ Valua _ had  _ hurt Aika. _

 

Fina would make them  **pay** for every tear her friend shed.

 

***

 

As Prince Enrique explained, Admiral De Loco was a mad genius who put all his faith in machines. There were times that it became problematic, but automation had been marvelous in other regards. 

They didn’t need a single human soul to be present at the  _ Delphinus _ ’s berth to assist with the launch. Once everyone was back on the bridge, all Enrique had to do was transmit a code from the ship’s communications console along the umbilical that sent power from the Grand Fortress to the  _ Delphinus _ , and the process of uncoupling, unmooring, and pulling back the locks and gantry cranes moved on its own.

“Main umbilical...detached.” Aika reported from the console that monitored the ship’s power status and engines. “The  _ Delphinus _ is now on internal power, moonstone reactors are at sub-critical. Engines online and idling. Main impellers on standby, maneuvering spinners are active and linked to helm control.”

“Good.” Vyse kept a hand on the wheel and looked around the bridge. “Gilder. How are weapons looking?”

The older air pirate laughed, shaking his head incredulously. “We’ve got no torpedoes on board, and a single salvo of shells loaded into the four turrets. Gives us eight shots. The turrets can be controlled manually by a crew on-site, but there was an option for ‘bridge control’, so I switched it over. We just won’t have anybody to reload them after we fire. As for that Moonstone Cannon? Couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It doesn’t fire projectiles, I know that much.”

Fina had only needed two minutes with a helpfully provided instruction manual to realize just how backwards De Loco’s efforts were. “It fires electromagnetically accelerated exotic particles in a diffusion wave that dissipates exponentially beyond a focused firing range of ten kilometers. In truth, it’s more of a wave motion effect than a ‘cannon’, but…” And Fina stopped talking as everyone else on the bridge just stared at her in surprise. She blushed and looked away. “It’s a horribly crude and primitive attempt at reproducing Silvite high technology.” She explained, glaring out of the forward bridge windows. “I won’t know how badly De Loco’s screwed up the design until we try it out for the first time, but just going over his schematics, it will require an enormous amount of spirit energy to power up. It’s horribly inefficient. Leave it to me.” She vowed, and Vyse gave her a nod.

“Okay, good enough.” Her captain looked back to Aika. “Are the engines set for bridge control?”

“Yes they are.” She gestured to the telemotor he had his hand on, and then to the EOT. “You’ll have full control of the ship from right where you’re standing. Aside from weapons.”

“Just the way I like it.” Vyse murmured. He swiveled his gaze to Enrique. “How are we coming along with disembarkation?”

“The last gantry cranes are moving out of our way, and we have green lights all the way to the main passage.” Enrique told him. “The process may be automated, but flight control in the Grand Fortress  _ will _ be receiving a notification soon. If we don’t move now, they’ll override the launch and close the shipyard gates on us.”

Vyse reached for the engine order telegraph, shoving it a click forward, and the ship hummed slightly as the maneuvering spinners with their smaller propellor blades started the  _ Delphinus _ forward. “Good thing we’re moving. Aika, keep an eye on those engines for me, we’re going to be putting them through their paces here.”

“I didn’t have the chance to tune the timing or balance them, so it could get a little shaky.” The redhead warned. 

“Wouldn’t be one of our escapes if it didn’t get a little rough.” Vyse chuckled, and Fina stifled a giggle before she moved to the weapons controls and found the access panel for the Moonstone Cannon. Beside her, Gilder hummed thoughtfully.

“You sure you’ve got this, girl?” He asked her.

Fina set her hands on two silvery orbs that rested atop two heavily reinforced struts from the floor, the spirit energy feeder lines that led to the capacitors deep within the belly of the ship. She channeled up a spark of power and felt it drain into what seemed a bottomless well to her senses. 

It was too hungry, too inefficient. It would take a normal person an hour to charge this weapon. 

But she wasn’t a  _ normal _ person. She was the last living priestess of the Silver Shrine, and they didn’t have that much time. Her silver aura flared to life around her, and just by how Gilder looked terrified, she knew that her eyes had disappeared behind a permanent glow.

**“Leave it to me.”** Her voice echoed against itself, and Gilder swallowed, edged away from the aura that whispered of life and death in equal measure, and manned his station.

 

With the berth now positioned to allow for their departure, Vyse nudged the  _ Delphinus _ forward along the path forward. Stone and steel passed around them as they slipped past one elevating shutter after another, and then the tunnel, sized just large enough for their ship, dumped out into a larger passage. Vyse quickly turned the wheel and whistled at the responsiveness of the large ship as it turned sharply to match, and they veered out until they were in the main passage between the Grand Fortress and the Valuan capital city. 

A wall full of menacing cannons, some capable of firing shells easily ten feet across, blocked the path between them and freedom. That, and two Valuan frigates who slowly started to wheel about towards them.

“Well, they know we’re here.” Vyse droned.

The ship’s communications station fuzzed for a moment before springing to life with a tenuous radio signal.  _ “Attention, Delphinus! Your ship has not been authorized for departure! Set your engines to full stop and prepare to be boarded!” _

“Yeah, like hell we’re doing that.” Aika snarled. Fina watched and listened with half of her attention, the rest of it focused on summoning up more and more power and feeding it into her aura. 

“With your permission, Vyse, could I try something?” Enrique asked politely. Vyse looked over at him and nodded, and Enrique reached for the microphone, engaging the squawk. “This is Crown Prince Enrique of the Valuan Empire. I am aboard the  _ Delphinus _ with a crew and we are currently undertaking operations to assist in the capture of the air pirate Vyse. There is a chance that he may attempt to steal a ship, and I intend to bar his path if it comes to it.”

There was silence for a very long minute, and the two ships slowed for a bit, but then they sped back up and continued on their approach. 

_ “Apologies, Prince Enrique, but we have orders from Grand Fortress control. Stand down and prepare to be boarded.” _

Enrique sighed and looked over to Vyse. “Well, I did try the diplomatic route.”

“You knew this wasn’t going to be a bloodless escape, Enrique.” Vyse consoled him. “It’s not a bad quality to value life. Just be sure you value your own above the people who would harm you. You can’t save anyone if you keep trying to die.” He hardened his features. “Gilder. Can you take them out?”

The older air pirate grinned, ready for blood. “We’ll try with the two side cannons first, see if we can’t drop them without wasting all our ammunition in one go.”

“Makes sense to me. Commence firing once you’ve got them dead to rights.”

“They’re flying like they’re not expecting to take any fire.” Gilder grinned, already turning dials and moving levers to adjust the firing arcs as he cross-checked with his sensors and visual displays. “They’ll regret that.”

 

Precious seconds ticked by, and Fina needed every one of them. The moonstone reservoir and capacitors which powered the Moonstone Cannon was almost a bottomless sink. She was starting to breathe hard, and Cupil separated from her forearm, reacting to her condition with his usual concern. When he realized she wasn’t fighting, merely conjuring a stream of constant spiritual energy, the bio-engineered polymorph settled to linger close by in a slow orbit around her head. Her silver aura flared and guttered, waxed and waned. It never disappeared though, it just pulsed in time with her heart as she let the ship take more and more of her strength. 

The Harpoon Cannon had never been this exhausting. 

 

“Firing!” Gilder shouted, and the ship shuddered as the port and starboard rotating cannons unloaded with both barrels. The shells, high-explosive rounds, screamed through the air at the unwary frigates and buried themselves amidships before detonating, sending fire in every direction and blasting the hulls apart. The smoking wrecks of the frigates both started drifting down towards the stone floor at the bottom of the hollowed out passage. “Bagged ‘em! Damn, what kind of firepower is this ship packing?! I’ve never taken down a Valuan frigate in a single salvo before, much less two simultaneously!”

**“You haven’t seen the true power of this ship yet.”** Fina said to him, her voice still resonating with unfathomable power. 

“I think that our cover’s blown, team.” Vyse said dryly, taking note of the puffs of smoke lighting off from the smaller cannons along the Grand Fortress’s cannon wall. He quickly brought the ship into wild evasive turns to throw off their aim. “And we still have to get through that wall.”

Gilder hummed. “It should still be weak where I set that booby trap earlier. If we concentrate our fire there, we  _ might _ be able to break through.” He looked to Fina. “Are you okay?”

**“I’ll live. What’s the charge at?”**

“Uh, about eighty percent? I think?” Gilder squinted at the gauge. 

Fina wanted to groan but didn’t dare risk breaking her concentration. So close. So far away. She’d poured so much of herself into the reservoir now, she could feel it draining into the conduits, feel how it moved through the capacitors, how the cannon’s focusing channels struggled to bring it together.

So inefficient. So wasteful. So  _ primitive.  _ She would have sooner asked a caveman to make her a piece of holographic art. 

 

**“Fly right for it, Vyse. You’ll only have one shot.”** She ordered him, and grimaced as she channeled up even more of her aura and  _ shoved it _ into the ship. It reacted, and a powerful hum sounded through the deck plating from the cannon at its heart. 

It was like they’d built the ship around it, instead of adding the cannon after. 

 

Fina watched in fascination as a targeting reticule was flashed onto the center bridge window panel from a recessed projector on the opposite side of the telemotor. Photoreceptive glass would have been a much simpler solution, but...It did the trick. Although, it seemed as though all Vyse would need to do would be to stare down the centerline of the hull and he’d be able to guide his shot just as easily that way.

The Grand Fortress was finally starting to fire in earnest, now that it was clear that their newest and most advanced ship was in the hands of a hostile force. It did them no good; Vyse was too skilled of a helmsman, and the cannons were fixed, embedded in the wall with only one firing line available for each of them. Save for decreasing the power load and hoping to get lucky with a shot that drifted down sooner than before? All Vyse had to do was line up on the damaged, out of commission cannon Gilder had sabotaged, and which still was belching smoke from a fire that had yet to be put out. 

Fina was so tired, but she was also still angry as hell. She hung on as they closed the gap, as the  _ Delphinus _ flew closer and closer towards its goal.

Gilder let out a yell. “Moonstone Cannon charged!” 

And at the helm, Vyse reached for a button by the telemotor which had finally come to life, glowing a brilliant green and flashing vibrantly. “Moonstone Cannon,  _ firing _ !” 

They heard the sounds of the entire front end of the ship being lowered down, and the cannon’s long barrel extending out into firing position. For as many tons of metal as needed to be moved, it was only the work of five seconds. De Loco’s automation was smooth and seamless.

A brilliant locus of light hung off of the bow, and Fina watched as Enrique and Vyse and Gilder and even Aika flinched from the glow of it. Fina alone did not look away. This was her power, her strength poured into the ship and combined with its own. Unbidden, the rage and anger for what Aika had suffered bubbled up to the surface, buoyed by her explosion of spiritual power, and she screamed in defiance as the beam fired.  **_“Fuck you, Valua!”_ **

It was blinding, and it was beautiful. And when it was loosed, the wave of energy and force screamed out like an unstoppable deluge. Right where Vyse had aimed it, the blast struck the Grand Fortress dead on in the weakened section of wall. Where it hit, metal and masonry and steel and wiring and everything else in 60 feet of reinforced defenses and works vaporized or was blown away as rubble that fell towards the abyss far below.

“Hang on!” Vyse screamed, and aimed the ship for the opening. Was it big enough? Had the blast done enough damage to clear them a straight path through?

Fina wondered, but the toll of it finally caught up to her and she slipped to the floor. She vaguely heard Gilder, then Aika, scream her name out, but…

But everything was dark, and the sound of an ocean of water roared in her ears, and she was so tired.

 

When she came to again, she found herself being held tightly by strong arms that smelled of sandalwood. Vyse’s arms. And crouched in front of her, worrying her front lip and trying not to cry, Aika looked down at her.

“Did...did we make it?” Fina slurred, hating how her voice sounded. Her ears still roared. 

“We made it.” Aika told her, leaning down and kissing her lips gently. “We made it, Fina. You got the cannon ready in time.”

“S’inn..ficient…” Aika tried to say. She needed to work on it. The Moonstone Cannon, as it was, was a kludge of slapdashed shoddy workmanship. The best Valua could make with their limited understanding of particle physics and atomic theory.

She could make it so much better.

“We’re out, Fina. We’re safe. We’re  _ free _ .” Vyse promised, and her eyes fluttered shut as she felt his hand stroke through her hair underneath her veil. 

“Good.” She said, yawning a little. Vyse held her close, and Fina slipped into dreams.

 

***

 

_ Mid-Ocean _

_ 108 Days After The (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Mid-Morning _

  
  


Vyse was quiet as he opened up the hatch that led to the captain’s stateroom. When he looked inside, he saw Fina lying on the bed, still asleep, and Aika lying beside the exhausted girl, terrible longing writ plain in her eyes as she stroked Fina’s hair away from her face. It was a marvelous four-poster bed, sized for royalty with plush comforters and a modesty curtain that, for the moment, was drawn up and away. 

Aika must have sensed the disturbance, because her arm stilled and she looked towards the door. The worry she wore melted into fatigued relief and  _ love _ as she looked back at him and smiled. It was the easiest thing in the world for Vyse to smile back, and before he knew it, he found himself shutting the door as quietly as he could and sneaking over beside the bed. Aika brushed Fina’s hair back one last time, kissed the Silvite’s forehead, then eased herself off of the mattress and stood up, smoothing the wrinkles out of her leather skirt and bodice. 

Vyse started to reach to embrace her, and though Aika didn’t flinch as she had before, there was a moment when her eyes pinched up and she went stiff as a board. Vyse stopped his arms and held still, and waited. He waited for her to make the first move.

She did, at length, sinking her face into the crook between his neck and his shoulder, and breathing the smell of him in deeply as she brought her arms up and held tight to his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“You have  _ nothing _ to be sorry for.” Vyse told her, and put his own arms around her at last. He set his cheek against the top of her head, marveling in the feel of her hair out of its braids, hanging free and wild and  _ feminine _ all around her face. “I’m not upset, I’m not mad. I love you. I love you so much that it  _ hurt _ not knowing where you were, or if you were all right. Not knowing where Fina was, or if she was all right as well.”

She laughed sadly, and her fingers traced loose patterns over his blue jacket on his back. “I was so worried about her too. They separated us right after they pulled us away from you and Gilder.”

Vyse thanked all the Moons then, feeling fresh tears spring to his eyes. “I am lost without you two.” He squeezed her again, sighing as Aika inhaled the smell of him, like she was trying to burn it into her memory. “How is she?”

Aika stilled for a moment, then exhaled on his neck. “She’s sleeping. As far as I can tell, she’s fine. Just...exhausted. You know how tired you get after casting too many spells? I think she did that about three times over. The amount of  _ power _ she was channeling...I can cast a lot of magic, too, Vyse, but I always thought hers was limitless.”

“She found the limit today.” Vyse mused.

 

Aika made a muffled noise of agreement, then kissed his neck right on his pulse point and pulled back to look into his eyes. “How are we doing?”

“For now?” Vyse mused softly, glancing at Fina one more time before looking to his hurting lover in his arms. “The  _ Claudia _ and the  _ Primrose _ are flying alongside us, looking absolutely tiny in comparison. Gilder’s manning the helm, and Clara hasn’t let him out of her sight since she came aboard. The Valuans only had a couple of pickets at the border and they decided they didn’t want to tangle with three ships, especially since one of them was the  _ Delphinus _ .”

Aika beamed at the news before she sobered up. “We still need to find a place to hole up and resupply, though. And I don’t think that the kind of shells the  _ Delphinus _ uses come cheap.”

“I had a thought about that, actually.” Vyse breathed. “I’m glad you’re still up, I wanted to check with you first.”

“You’re the captain, why are you asking me?” Aika snorted.

“Because you’re my First Mate.” Vyse responded immediately. “Because your opinion has always mattered as much as mine has. Because when I asked you to sail out into the world and risk our lives, you didn’t walk away.” He smiled then. “Do you need more reasons or have I made myself enough of a fool for you?”

“I could think of a few more.” She offered slyly. “But, okay. Enough. Where do you want to go?”

“Home.” Vyse said, and waited for her reaction. The lack of it surprised him.

“Okay.” Aika said five seconds later, shrugging slightly.

“Okay?” He repeated dubiously.

“Yes, Vyse. Okay.” Aika repeated. “It makes sense. We need a safe harbor, and nobody knows the skies around Pirate Isle like we do, or where to hide a ship this size. Captain Dyne and the  _ Albatross _ crew are probably still rebuilding their ship in the wilderness northwest of home, and there’s a good chance we’ll be able to resupply and pick up the munitions we’ll need to keep fighting. Not to mention that we’re still missing our gear, and we’ll need new weapons.”

“True.” Vyse admitted. “Although we’re not hurting for funds. This ship has a rather sizable coffer of petty cash that Enrique has given over for the cause. It should be enough to purchase anything we need in the short term for supplies, repairs, and ship upgrades.”

“Money that I’m certain our friends and family would be happy to trade for the gear we’ll need.” Aika smiled. “So yes. Let’s go home. Although, knowing you, you have other reasons for wanting to.”

Vyse slumped a little and chuffed in surrender. “I need to talk to my father. Ever since Ixa’taka, I’ve...had questions.”

Aika nodded seriously. “I know. You deserve answers. To think that he was  _ Valuan _ ? That he  _ founded _ the Blue Rogues? And never bothered to tell you? That none of the Blue Rogues did?” She paused. “Although, on the other side of the coin, I wonder what you’re going to tell your mother.”

“About what?”

“About us, Vyse.” She said, poking him lightly in the chest.

“What I need to tell her.” Vyse said. “That you are loved, and so is Fina.”

“She might not understand.” Aika hummed, and Vyse realized she was  _ worried. _

“Hey.” He caught her chin, lifted her head up until she met his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if she does. We’re adults now. I think as long as we make each other happy, she’ll be fine with it. Maybe not at first, but eventually?” He shrugged. “We figured it out. So will she.”

“Good.” She let go of him entirely and smiled. “Now get going, captain.You’ve got a ship to run, and Gilder’s not going to do it for you.”

“Bossy.” He stuck his tongue out at her, and Aika giggled. She settled back down when he looked past her to Fina. “You’ll let me know when she wakes up?”

“First thing.” She promised, but then she thought better of it. “Well, first I’ll kiss her. Then I’ll come get you.”

“Give her one for me, all right?” Vyse asked, and then kissed Aika with enough warmth to leave his lips tingling after. She blushed and nodded.

“I think I can pass that on.” Aika shoved him back a little. “Now get going, Vyse.”

“All right, all right.” He held up his hands and walked back out, glancing back long enough to see Aika climb back into bed beside their third love. He smiled and closed the door. His women would take care of each other.

When he walked back towards the bridge, his face was set and determined again. He was the captain. It was time to see about taking care of everything else.

 

***

 

_ The Delphinus _

_ Bridge _

  
  


Vyse hadn’t even closed the hatch behind him when Gilder started speaking. “You sure do know how to break in a new ship, Vyse.”

The Blue Rogue captain chuckled as he secured the hatch, then turned and winked through his telescopic eyepiece at the older air pirate. “As far as shakedown cruises go, I will admit that this one’s been rather eventful.” He looked over to Enrique,who looked more than a little peaked. “You all right over there, prince?”

Enrique hiccuped once and tried for a smile. “I apologize. I’m...urp...I’ve not been on a ship since I was a very young boy. I think I lost my sky legs.” He leaned against the cartographer’s table and breathed in slowly. “I will do my best to get them back.”

“Relax, Enrique. You’ve got time.” Vyse waved off the apology. “I just wish you’d been able to salvage our weapons when you stole the Moon Crystals.”

“Your weapons, no.” Enrique apologized, brightening as he reached for his duffel bag and pulled out a familiar enchanted rucksack. “However, I did requisition the rest of your belongings after Admiral Ramirez made port.” 

Vyse made a surprised noise and quickly grabbed it, sorting through the contents. “Incredible...My Sailor’s Journal! You even saved all of the Moonfish we’ve been collecting!” He stared at Enrique. “Why would you take the time to grab this?”

“I was trying to learn of you from your belongings.” Enrique said with a smile. “So much has been said about your exploits, I needed to understand the man behind them. I only had two hours with them before I realized that you couldn’t be the bloodthirsty terrorist the admiralty has made you out to be. That was when I came looking for you in your cell, and…” The prince shrugged. “Needs must, and here we are.”

Vyse’s first impulse was to thank the man, but as he moved to slip the journal back into its usual pocket, a thin line of panic overtook him. “You read my journal, didn’t you.”

Enrique nodded. “Not all the way through. I had to stop after your account of the second Gigas fight in Ixa’taka. I knew your time was limited sitting in prison, and I wanted to talk to you in person while I had the chance. I decided I could always finish the rest later.” 

Vyse let go of the breath he’d been holding and tucked the journal away. He’d be needing a new one soon, but he didn’t want anyone reading it. Except for Aika and Fina, perhaps. “This will help, Enrique. Thank you.” Vyse gave the older prince another grateful nod before turning to Gilder. “How are things here, Gilder?”

“Mostly shipshape.” The veteran air pirate explained. “Have you finished with your tour of the  _ Delphinus _ , figured out where everything is?”

“There’s a lot of open space yet, a lot of room for personalization. But all the basics are there.” Vyse said. He gave Enrique a side-eyed glance briefly. “The Armada may be full of utter bastards, but they know how to build a ship. It just needs all the homey touches...a full arsenal of ammunition...supplies and replacement parts…”

“In short, basically everything.” Gilder summarized. “Which brings me to my next point, kid. Now that we’re out of Valuan airspace, I’ll be parting ways with you while I still can. But I have three pieces of advice I wanted to pass on before I left.”

Vyse cocked his head to the side, surprised at the offer, and nodded. “Okay. Shoot.” 

Gilder placed one hand on the telemotor and used the other to adjust his glasses. “First off; you need to find yourself a proper crew. Back when it was just you and the girls with that crazy old man Drachma and his converted fishing boat, you could manage well enough. But this is a Moons-damned  _ battleship _ , and you aren’t going to be able to do anything effectively if it’s just the three of you.”

“Four.” Enrique cut in crisply. “I gave my oath of service to see this through as well.”

“Until you take the Blue Rogues’ Oath, prince, you’re just a passenger in my eyes.” Gilder kept going. “You have a lot of spots that need filling. A proper gunner’s crew, for one, an engineer so Aika doesn’t run herself ragged trying to keep everything maintained, a helmsman, a cook, a doctor...Long and short of it, Vyse, you’re going to need a  _ lot _ of people to keep this thing in the air.”

Vyse nodded. He’d been pondering that himself, if not as seriously as Gilder was. The  _ Delphinus _ was massive; flatly put, if they didn’t get a decent crew, the Valuans would still be able to make short work of them.  “Okay. So. We recruit a proper crew. What else?”

“You need a base.” Gilder went on, lifting a second finger. “You can’t stay on this ship for the rest of your life, after all. You’ll need someplace to put into dock for repairs and modifications, not to mention get some much-needed relaxation for you and your crew. It needs to be an island or a part of a continent that you can conceal a base.”

“I know what a proper Blue Rogues underground base should look like.” Vyse said dryly, and Gilder laughed.

“Yeah, I’d imagine you do. Someplace off of the beaten path, but still close to the main sailing lanes would be ideal. Come to think of it, that island I found you on? Crescent Isle? That would be a _terrific_ place to set up shop.”

Vyse thought about it for a bit and nodded. “Yeah. I suppose it would be. And it would be nice to give that place some positive associations. But we’re not headed for it right away. We have one more stop to make first.”

“Fair enough.” Gilder rubbed at his chin. “Listen, I’ve got two older members on my crew; an engineer called Brabham and a master carpenter and builder named Izmael. They’ve been looking for a good challenge to round out their careers, and there’s only so much work I have for them. Would you feel like taking them on?”

“I wouldn’t turn down the help, but they’d have to agree to live by the Code of the Blue Rogues.” Vyse pointed out. “Do you think they would be willing to do so?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Gilder shrugged. “Just keep the work coming and the food and drink flowing and they’re happy as a duck on a pond.”

“In that case, I’d be happy to take them on. Moons know there will be plenty of work for them.”

“True enough.” Gilder grinned. “I’ll drop them off at Crescent Isle with a few weeks’ worth of provisions and let them know to expect you. Will that give you enough time to reach them so they can get started?”

Vyse ran the numbers in his head and nodded. “We’ll make it to them before the rum’s gone.”

“Good.” Gilder pulled himself off of the telemotor and clapped his hands together. “The last piece of advice I have for you? Never give up.”

“Blue Rogues never give up.” Vyse said automatically, then blinked. “I thought you didn’t follow the Code.”

“You warmed me up to it, kid.” Gilder crossed his arms. “You really are Dyne’s son.” Vyse didn’t flinch anymore at the association, but his smile did disappear on him. “For some reason, people follow you. Your father had that same kind of leadership, from all the stories I’ve heard about the man. When he broke away from Valua, others followed him. If anybody else had done it, they’d just be one rogue captain. Instead, Dyne founded a  _ coalition _ spread out over Mid-Ocean and got them all to play by his rules. No small achievement. You’re going to end up doing the same thing.” Gilder chuckled. “I mean, come on. You’ve taken down  _ three  _ admirals, fought two Gigers…”

“Gigas.” 

“Gigas, fine. You’ve escaped the Grand Fortress  _ twice now _ , freed an entire air pirate crew out from under Valua’s nose, discovered Daccat’s treasure, liberated Ixa’taka…” Gilder removed his pince-nez glasses and tried to clean them. “The last I heard of you, your moniker was Vyse the Determined. Or the Respected. One of those. You’re going places, kid. Just be the same determined Blue Rogue I know, and you’ll do just fine.” He looked at his glasses again and made a disgusted noise. “I need a clean cloth, these glasses won’t shine up.”

“I think that there might be some chamois wipes in the storage cabinets beneath the bridge consoles.” Prince Enrique suggested. Gilder grunted in thanks and walked over to the portside cabinet, slamming the door open. He froze and blinked with wide eyes. 

“What the…A stowaway?” Then there was a yell and a whump as a ratty duffel bag smashed the air pirate in the chest, and a scruffy, scrawny slip of a boy in dirty clothes leapt out and charged for the exit. Vyse got in his way, blocking him off and hoisting him into the air by the scruff of his collar.

“Let go a’me! Leggo, you Valuan bastards!” The voice picked at something familiar and nearly forgotten in Vyse’s memory, and looked down and blinked at a mop of wild, filthy red hair made almost brown by the grime in it. 

“...Marco?” Vyse uttered incredulously, and the boy’s flailing came to a sudden stop. 

Familiar eyes, sharp as the streets he’d grown up on, stared up at Vyse. The boy blinked, and Vyse blinked back and set him back down on the deck.

“Vyse?” The freckled, red-haired orphan rubbed at his eyes before looking at Vyse again in wonder. “Is it really you, Vyse?”

The Blue Rogue beamed. “Who else would I be, kid?” And Marco cracked out laughing and jumped into his arms, hugging him for dear life.

“How did you...how are you even…”

“Hey, slow down, Marco. Answer my question first. What are  _ you _ doing here? It’s been months since I saw you, what have you been up to?”

“Nothing as crazy as you’ve been doing!” Marco gulped back a choking, tearful laugh. “Vyse, do you know how many people are  _ talking _ about you? Down in the Lower City you’re a freaking legend! Every time a battered Valuan ship sails back in with news, it comes back to us! Punching the soldiers in their stupid faces every chance you get? Fighting off  _ monsters _ ? And escaping the Grand Fortress? There’s even a  _ carnival game _ based on how you got clear of them!”

Vyse blinked while Gilder let out an enormous belly laugh. “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not! The prizes are terrible for what they charge, but everybody tries to fly the ship through the door before it closes. Bragging rights!” He looked around in wonder. “But how are you here? This is Valua’s newest battleship, how did…”

“Stole it. Blew a hole through the Grand Fortress and flew out to freedom.” Vyse explained. Marco gaped at him, and Vyse laughed. “A carnival game. Well. Guess they’ll have to update it now.” He knelt down and stared at Marco. “But that doesn’t explain how you ended up stowing away on the  _ Delphinus _ .”

Marco fidgeted. “I remembered what you told me. That I could make it out into the world if I was brave. So while you were out doing your thing and making the Valuan soldiers quake in their boots, I started sneaking around more often. I eventually figured out how to sneak into the Grand Fortress, and from there? I figured out which ship was setting out soon, but wasn’t crewed yet. I figured I’d stow away on this ship with my sack of food, wait them out, and then get clear the next time they made port away from Valua.”

 

“You did it, Marco.” Vyse chuckled. “You’re out here in the skies.”

“Can I come with you?” Marco impulsively asked, and Vyse shut up. “Vyse, I...I can be helpful, I swear.”

“I know you can be, Marco. I’m just…” Vyse started, and looked around for support. Gilder’s gaze caught him dead-on, and the older man just nodded once at him, and held up a single finger.

His first piece of advice. Get a crew. 

Vyse slumped in surrender and patted Marco’s shoulder, coming back to his full height. “If you want to sail with me, Marco, then you will have to do so as a Blue Rogue. Can you do that?”

The boy straightened up. “Yes, Vyse!”

“Blue Rogues live by a Code.” Vyse went on, his voice taking on a stern quality. “Are you willing to make that oath? Live as we live?”

“Yes!”

“Last thing, Crewman Marco.” Vyse said, and he could see how Marco shivered in excitement and delight and  _ pride _ when he suddenly was given a title to go with his name. “Are you willing to call me captain?”

Marco stood at attention and gave a crisp, if wrong-handed, salute. “Yes, Captain Vyse.”

Vyse took a step back and held out his hand. “We’ll make a sailor out of you yet, Marco. Welcome aboard.” Marco shook his hand, grinning to beat the band and crying just a little, and nobody said a thing to tease him about it. “Now. I’ll bet you’d like to get something to eat and get cleaned up. It just so happens this ship has some impressive shower facilities, but all we’ve got are stock rations for the moment. I’m hoping to change that soon.” 

“It would probably taste better than what I’ve got stuffed in my bag.” Marco shrugged. 

“Good. Enrique, would you mind giving our newest crewmate the tour? Get him something to eat and see if there’s some better clothes we could set him up with after he gets a shower in.”

“I think that can be managed, ‘Captain’ Vyse.” Enrique chuckled through his nausea, and Marco glanced over to the other man in the room for the first time. The young boy’s eyes went wide.

“Wait. Aren’t you…”

“Crown Prince Enrique of the Valuan Empire.” Enrique bowed to Marco politely, then held out his hand. “I also asked Vyse if I could join with him. You are one of my countrymen, then? It would be my duty, and my pleasure, to help you get situated.”

“Gee willickers.” Marco mumbled, shaking his head as he took Enrique’s hand, and was led off. “How the heck did he manage to talk you into leaving Valua behind?”

“Well, young Marco, that is quite the story. Perhaps I could tell it to you over a cup of tea and whatever we can scrounge up…”

 

Their voices faded, leaving Gilder chuckling under his breath. Vyse turned and raised an eyebrow at the other pirate. “What?”

“People follow you.” Gilder repeated, winking. “And you don’t see why yet, do you?” Vyse just stared at him, and Gilder waved the thought off. “Well. I’ve said my piece, so I’d best be heading out. You be sure to give the Valuans hell out there, Vyse, and I’ll do the same. I owe them one now.” 

“You’re leaving?” Vyse asked.

“This isn’t my ship and I’m not a part of your crew.” Gilder resolved. “Besides, the wild blue yonder’s calling my name, and…”

Vyse frowned, and interrupted him. “You’re just running from Clara again.”

Gilder shut up and flinched. “Now, what makes you say that kid?”

“She’s  _ right here _ , she risked her life and the lives of her crew to help us escape. Her ship let off just as much cannonfire at the Great Fortress as the  _ Claudia _ did. She did it for you, Gilder.”

Gilder slipped his glasses back on and looked up at the ceiling. “You think I don’t know that?” He said wearily. 

“I think you’re trying to forget it.” Vyse snapped. “What the hell is the matter with you? She’s your match, Gilder! In every possible way!”

Gilder looked back down at him. “Vyse, she’s crazy. An absolute lunatic. And I’m an air pirate, I’ve got no business…”

“Building a relationship with someone  _ normal _ , yes.” Vyse cut him off again, tired of the same old argument. “But she’s a Blue Rogue, Gilder. She’s taking the same risks, making the same hard decisions you do. She knows the danger of your lifestyle, she’s  _ living it _ . And the way she looks at you? It’s almost exactly how Aika and Fina look at me. She loves you, Gilder, regardless of your faults. And believe me, you have plenty of those.”

“Hey.” Gilder winced. “I’m not  _ that _ terrible of a screwup.” Vyse crossed his arms and stared at him, and Gilder eventually wilted and looked away again. “Kid, listen. Not everybody lives like you do.”

“Not saying they have to.” Vyse said. “But you’ve got two choices, Gilder. You can keep on running like you’ve been doing your whole life...or you can take a chance for something better.”

“I just got out of one prison, kid. Why would I walk into another one?” Gilder shot back flatly. Vyse gaped in reply.

“You think  _ love _ is a  _ prison _ ?” The young Blue Rogue whispered. “Gilder, love doesn’t trap you. It sets you  _ free _ .” 

“You sure about that, kid?” Gilder asked softly. Vyse bared his teeth, refusing to back down. The older air pirate shrugged. “Okay. I’ll think about it. Will that do?”

“Don’t fly off and leave her behind, Gilder.” Vyse warned him. Gilder laughed in reply, waving off the warning as he headed for the door.

“Please. She’d chase after me.”

“Some day she won’t, Gilder.” Vyse warned him, and that stopped the other air pirate cold. “You complain about her. You call her crazy. But ask yourself; do you really want to see what your life would be like if she wasn’t around?”

Gilder stumbled a bit at that and looked back at him incredulously. Vyse met his expression with a hard stare. “Think about it. And fly safe.”

“Yeah. You take care of yourself, kid.” Gilder tried to smile and waved, but Vyse knew he’d landed a solid hit by the way it came off as more of a grimace. The air pirate walked off of the bridge, and Vyse sighed and looked around the nerve center of the massive battleship.

“First thing we’re adding. Chairs.” He said to himself, already eyeing where they would go next to the consoles. The thought didn’t last long, as he soon drifted back to Gilder, and to Clara.

Vyse wondered if the pirate would finally change enough to let her into his heart. He needed to, or he would lose her forever. Just like Vyse had almost lost Aika and Fina.

“Blue Rogues Fly Free.” Vyse told himself, and went to the helm, watching as Gilder walked out onto the foredeck and fired a shot into the air to signal his ship. He shook his head and turned his thoughts to Aika and Fina. 

By a miracle, they had escaped the Grand Fortress. By an act of faith, the Crown Prince of the Empire had turned rogue, given them a ship and the Moon Crystals and their supplies, given them a chance. Now, his very first crewmember had stumbled into his lap.

Let it not be said that Vyse didn’t know how to take a hint. He grinned and set a hand on the top spoke of the telemotor. The Moons were all but screaming for him to save Arcadia and stop Valua if even its prince wanted to help him. 

_ People follow you _ , Gilder had said.

“If you would be free…” Vyse mused, thinking of all the lives they had touched. Would touch.

Valua had spent 20 years brutalizing the world. All of that pain would come back to it as a storm.

A storm of blue.

 

***

 

_ The Claudia _

_ 108 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Early Evening _

  
  


Gilder had returned from the  _ Delphinus _ intent on pulling away and flying as quickly as his blockade runner could manage away from the  _ Primrose _ and Clara before she got wind of his departure. It had been his practiced, standard maneuver ever since he’d first realized she wanted more from him than a one-night stand. The crew had been expecting it, given their chuckles as his first mate asked for the order.

And yet the words from his lips hadn’t been  _ ‘hoist the sails and all ahead full’ _ , but the stunning,  _ ‘hold fast for now.’ _ They had all stared at him, and it took Gilder a moment to process what he’d said. Then he ducked out of sight and went back to his cabin, and poured himself a tall glass of rum, sat down on his couch, and tried to figure out why he felt so poleaxed. 

It had to be the kid’s fault, he decided after the first thirty minutes. The  _ Delphinus _ pulled away, and he glanced out the window as the massive ship departed the eddies of Mid-Ocean, leaving the  _ Claudia _ and the  _ Primrose _ behind. The kid and his two women were all together,  _ ridiculously _ in love with each other, and had no qualms about sharing each other. It flew in the face of everything Gilder thought he’d known about romance, and then the kid took it upon himself to start giving  _ him _ advice about love?

But it wasn’t really Vyse’s relationship that ate at him, Gilder thought. After another hour of deep introspection, marred only by his first mate sticking his head in long enough to give the midday report and confirm that the order to stand fast hadn’t changed, he reached that conclusion. So, Vyse loved two women who loved him and who also loved each other, and they were all  _ definitely _ sexually active. Just because he still had trouble wrapping his head around it didn’t make it any less valid. 

No, it had to be something else that made his head fuzzy. He’d been drinking his rum very slowly, just a sip every so often that made it seem like evaporation would empty the glass before he did. It had to be what the kid had told him. Like he was so damn sure he knew what Gilder wanted even more than Gilder did. And that line of his.  _ ‘Love doesn’t trap you. Love sets you free.’ _

Maybe,  _ maybe _ it had set Vyse free. But there was no guarantee that it would do the same thing for Gilder.

And yet...when Gilder found himself in the most impenetrable prison in all of Arcadia, Clara hadn’t hesitated to put herself and her ship, her crew, on the line to save him. 

So maybe  _ love _ , which Clara loudly and gleefully professed out at the drop of a hat, had set him free.

By his third hour of drinking, Gilder had given up trying to blame Vyse. Nothing the young Blue Rogue had said was wrong. He  _ was _ running. If he kept it up, Clara  _ would _ eventually stop chasing after him. He’d always said that was the whole  _ point _ of it, trying to escape her clutches. But it wasn’t like he hated her, far from it. Calamity Clara had been the one woman in all of his trysts that had matched him step for step; she could drink him under the table, she could fight just as ferociously, and her generosity always gave him pause. No, he’d run for another reason. His whole life, he’d lived by his own more flexible code of conduct, guided by the personal freedom he’d always reveled in, and the insistence that he didn’t need love, not the settling down, permanent kind. But he’d run from Clara, and never stopped running. Because...because he was afraid.

By his fourth hour of drinking, finally on his second glass of rum, Gilder started to hate himself. Hating himself came easy. He’d been running from Clara since the fifth day he’d known her. She was bright and hopeful and  _ drop dead gorgeous _ and…

And he didn’t deserve her. Gilder’s eyes drifted around the room, taking in the sight of his cabin and the walls covered in one portrait after another. He’d bragged about them, all of his ‘conquests’ when Vyse had been in here, and Vyse had looked on them, looked on him, with such terrible disgust. Vyse had never backed down from his position, never even wavered in his belief that Gilder was wrong, and that he was cheating himself out of something better. 

Gilder had always told everyone who asked about them, always told himself, that it was about creating a memory he could take with him. Now, though, he stared at them and just saw one picture after another of all the women he’d been with and never bothered to try for more.

He stared at them through rum-soaked eyes, with Vyse’s words burning through him, and he didn’t see the warm memories he’d always deluded himself with before. He saw one missed opportunity after another. 

Gilder the Unfettered. Gilder the free. Gilder the unchained, the untethered, the confirmed bachelor. 

 

He lurched to his feet, went to the closest wall, and started taking all of his portraits down.

Gilder was halfway done with the task when his cabin door opened again. “For the last time, Clyde, we’re not going anywhere. Tell the boys to relax and open up another bottle of rum!” He shouted over his shoulder. 

“I’m not Clyde.” A distinctly feminine voice answered from his doorway, and Gilder shivered in recognition. He turned, one hand holding a nearly full sack of art and the other with another small portrait just about to join it. Calamity Clara herself stood in the door to his room, trapping him inside of it, and for once, she wasn’t a bubbly, perky mess. The red-haired woman seemed almost concerned. She stared at him, and Gilder gawked back at her. “Usually, after I catch up with you, you manage to run away from me. You didn’t run this time Gilder.”

“Would it have done any good?” Gilder blurted the question out without thinking. 

“Well, no.” She conceded. “But...you always run.”

Gilder finally broke his eyes away from hers and kept stowing the portraits of the beautiful women he’d slept with over the years. “I couldn’t think of a good place to run to, I guess.” He explained. “This whole business with the Grand Fortress and all.”

“Hm.” Clara came into the room and let the door close behind her. She seemed pensive, and folded her arms as she came close to him. “I would think that experience would rattle anybody.” 

“Yeah.” Gilder kept working. It gave his hands something to do. It gave him an excuse not to look at her. “You knew the girls...Aika and Fina, from before, right?”

Clara laughed once. “Yes. I rescued them after their shipwreck.”

“Just like I rescued Vyse.” Gilder hummed.

Clara came to within four feet of him and then stopped. “I’m glad they found each other. Those girls were so distraught without their man.”

“He wasn’t much better, to be honest. Until they showed up in Daccat’s labyrinth, it was like Vyse was just...going through the motions.” He breathed. “You know, Clara, they confused me? I didn’t understand how it would work between them. But...it does.”

“It’s love, Gilder.” Clara smirked, and he could taste the smile in her words. “It doesn’t have to make sense.”

“Hm.”

“What are you doing, anyways? Redecorating?”

“Just putting some pictures away.” Gilder said, trying to be diplomatic. He wouldn’t brag about this. Not again.

Never again.

“Why?” Clara asked, more hushed than before, and her hand crept over and touched his elbow. It made him still and stop the work, and he bowed his head.

“Because something they all tried to tell me is finally sinking in.” He confessed. Gilder swallowed down the guilt and reached for another one, but then her hand shifted, went to his wrist, and pulled it back from the next portrait. 

“No.” She said, and he turned and looked at her. She was smiling now, softer than he’d ever seen her smile in years, with a warmth that made heat blossom in his chest. “Leave them up.”

“What?” He blinked through his glasses. “Why?”

“Because you’re a wonderful painter.” She explained with a small giggle. “It may be their faces, Gilder, but it was your brush.”

Her attitude confused him. “I...would have thought you’d be jealous. If I left them up.” He struggled to say.

“You were taking them down, Gilder. You were taking them  _ all _ down…” Clara stepped in a little more closely, until she could push the bag away and down and stand in the circle of his arms. She lifted his other arm up and pointed it over her shoulder to a bare wall, bare save for one portrait.

Clara’s own. “All of them except  _ mine _ .” She looked at it longingly for a few seconds, then turned and looked up into his eyes, her own misty. “That tells me a lot.” 

Gilder swallowed. “So, Clara. If...If I were to...that is, how would you feel about...sailing with me for a while?”

She stared at him, and the coyness sublimated away. His heart froze in his chest at the nervousness, the openness...the  _ weakness _ in her face then. “You really aren’t running away, are you?” Clara whispered, dancing between hope and fear.

Gilder dropped his sack and pulled her into his arms completely, wrapping them around her and holding her gently. She ducked her head under his chin, and he breathed in the smell of her copper red hair.

“I’m  _ done _ running.” He declared. “I want something more. I want what Vyse has.”

She slumped against him then, and he held her tight, keeping her up, cursing himself for all of his wasted years. Clara trembled, shaking like a leaf, and he kissed her hair. “I want what Vyse has.” He whispered again, just in case she hadn’t believed him.

“There’s only  _ one _ of me, you know.” Clara finally answered, heartsore and yet shining brightly, brighter than she ever had before.

“Good.” Gilder hummed, and slipped a hand around to cup at her chin and lift her face away from his chest. Clara’s eyes were as red as his own felt, and he could see her, the  _ real _ her, at last.

Just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

He would never run away from her again.

Gilder smiled, traced the curve of her lips with his thumb. “I might actually be able to keep up that way.” And then he kissed her.


	21. No Secrets Between Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the heroes finally return home to Pirate Isle after escaping the Grand Fortress, Aika overcomes the shadow of Vigoro which had hung over her like a cloud, and Vyse's mother Relena must come to terms with their relationship...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Twenty-One: No Secrets Between Us**

  
  


_ Mid-Ocean, Beneath the Silver Moon _

_ 110 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Morning _

  
  


Each of them had their own quarters. Vyse would have loved to just stay with his loves in the captain’s quarters and not come out until they got to Pirate’s Isle, but with only Marco aboard with the duties of a sailor and Vyse having a ship to sail which Aika had to keep running with severely limited personnel and Enrique struggling with airsickness, wiling away the hours in the bedroom was hard to do. But they made the time to, even if it was just for cuddling.

This morning, Fina needed the cuddling. She had told them both that she needed to tell them about Ramirez. About the truth of him. But she had been trembling so badly last night before Aika went to stand watch at the helm for the last leg of the journey, that Vyse had said it could wait until morning. 

Now it was morning and Fina had breakfast to make and Vyse had a helmsman’s duties to relieve Enrique of for the last leg of the flight back home. But they made the time. So now Vyse spooned up behind Fina on one side, and an exhausted Aika lay facing her and gently stroking her bare arm while Fina lay in a sleeveless nightgown taken from the ship’s stores.

The Silvite breathed in and out, and touched the strong band of Vyse’s forearm beneath her bosom, as if drawing strength from his presence. 

“We’re here, Fina.” He said to her gently. “It’s okay.”

Fina made a soft hum, and her head shifted ever so slightly. Aika’s eyes moved from the girl’s face to Vyse’s, and she gave him a nod.

“Ramirez…” The Silvite began hesitantly. “Ramirez is a Silvite. Ten years ago, the Elders of my people learned that Valua was expanding, that they wanted to conquer the world, and they were developing technologies that would, in time, threaten to bring down the Rains of Destruction. He was fourteen years old, and I was seven. He was the one that they had been training to serve as their agent. He would play games with me in the Silver Shrine when I was little. He was like my big brother. I trained as a priestess, I studied magic and languages and engineering when I could get away with it.” She reached a hand out and took Aika’s. “But Ramirez...he was their ultimate warrior. His skill with a blade was  _ deadly _ , and he could wield the power of the Silver Moon to make his strikes hyperlethal. So when the Elders needed to investigate, they sent him. And we never heard from him again. They thought he was lost. Dead.”

“But he wasn’t.” Vyse surmised, and his free hand stroked through the fabric of her nightgown, tracing circles around her navel. “He joined with Valua. He’s been  _ helping _ them.”

Fina crumpled a bit, and Aika made a surprised noise. “That friend you always talked about. When you were little. The one who brushed your hair...it was  _ him _ ?”

Vyse stopped moving his fingers over Fina’s abdomen, listening as the blond stilled and then let out a single sob. 

“Oh, Fina.” Aika whispered, and stroked at her hair. “Fina, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know him anymore.” Fina sobbed, and Vyse pulled her in tighter to him. The Silvite squirmed, rolled over, and buried her face into his chest. “How could he? How  _ could he _ ? This ship has a  _ Moonstone Cannon _ in it. That’s Silvite technology! He’s...he’s  _ helping them _ , and driving the world towards the Rains of Destruction all over again!”

“They won’t win.” Vyse promised her, while Aika kept stroking her hair. “We’re going to stop them. Stop  _ him _ . He’s a good swordsman? Then I’ll just have to get better. Because I’ve got more to fight for than he does. And we’ve got time. They’re  _ reeling _ right now. The Moon Crystals? Ours again. Their newest ship, also ours. Their Grand Fortress just had a massive  _ hole _ blown through it, which means that they’ll either have to risk being attacked or pull back their ships to protect it while they make repairs.”

“He would have killed you.” Fina tried to pull herself together. “He would have killed both of you.”

“I’m still here.” Vyse promised her, squeezing her tight, as Aika kissed the girl’s neck and shoulders. “Fina, we’re still here.”

 

***

 

_ Pirate’s Isle _

_ 3 Hours Later _

  
  


Vyse hadn’t been home in over one hundred days. Months of time. When he had climbed aboard the  _ Little Jack _ with Aika and Fina and Drachma and bid his farewells to his father and mother and everyone else he called friends and former shipmates, the upper part of the island had still been covered in burned out homes blown down by cannonfire and debris. 

Many of the island’s structures  _ had _ been rebuilt since then, but not all of the houses he had expected from his memorized layout were there anymore. 

There was a storehouse gone. Another house was missing, and a second field had been plowed in its place. Vyse’s house had been painstakingly replicated. So had Aika’s. And as they flew down towards the village in a motorized landing boat, having left the  _ Delphinus _ parked off of one of the anchoring islands adjoining the main one, the streets were empty.

“Your home looks...cozy.” Prince Enrique said, trying for a charitable observation. 

“It looks empty.” Marco said, leaning over the side, and Vyse quickly reached a hand out and grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt to keep him from leaning beyond the point of no return. “You sure people live here, Vyse?”

“If they didn’t, Marco, they wouldn’t have bothered to rebuild everything.” Vyse told him.

“Almost everything.” Aika murmured, seeing the differences as clearly as he did. “And aren’t you supposed to be calling him ‘captain’ now, slugger?”

“Hey!” Marco protested, moving back to the middle of the transport boat and throwing off Vyse’s grip. “He said to call him captain on board the  _ Delphinus _ . We’re not on board the  _ Delphinus _ right now. So there.” And then the boy stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at Aika, who puffed up angrily even as Fina giggled into her hand. 

Vyse sighed and rubbed the kid’s raggedy mop of hair, which was much cleaner and brighter than before. He almost looked  _ decent _ for once, and the last couple of days he’d been eating well. “Fair enough. Don’t worry about it, Aika. Blue Rogues don’t stand on formality much, remember. Long as he takes orders and follows them when it’s important, he doesn’t have to call me captain all the time.” Vyse paused. “Just when he wants something.” He concluded, grinning. 

The grin faded when he looked back at Pirate Isle and kept steering the landing boat down to the outcrop used for docking. The boat’s engine was new, well-oiled, and tuned, and let out only the faintest puttering as he guided them in for a landing and engaged the hoverbrake.

The five of them stepped off the boat, and the silence closed in around them oppressively. Vyse took in a slow breath and scanned the perimeter. “There’s people here.” He said softly, pointing to a chimney where puffs of light-colored smoke and steam from a pot of soup or a pan of casserole was cooking. Then he glanced back up at their ship, anchored and idling and nearly dwarfing the island. “They’re probably hiding because they think we’re Valuan.”

“Well, you do technically have two Valuans here with you.” Enrique pointed out, his queasiness slow to abate even as they stood on solid ground again. “Do your people always hide?”

“At least since Lord Galcian showed up and firebombed our island to the ground.” Aika said, and under her flat tone was worlds of untold rage that made the prince flinch and look away. The redhead must have realized how badly he took it, because she sighed and set a hand to her head. “Listen, Enrique, I...I know you didn’t do it. You weren’t responsible for what Galcian did.”

“They are still my people. And I am the Crown Prince.” Enrique said, the words hard and bitter.

“When they start taking orders from you instead of your mother and Mr. salt and pepper beard, then you can start dragging yourself over the coals.” Vyse cut in, glaring at Enrique. “Not before. If you could have done anything else to effect change, you wouldn’t have come with us. Right?”

The words were a little harsh, but they were full of hard truth, something he needed to hear. Enrique let out a sigh and nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Vyse.”

“Don’t mention it.” The Blue Rogue looked over to Aika. “You mind giving our neighbors a shout so they know they’re not under attack?”

“Yeah, why not. They put my parent’s house back together, after all.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a loud bellowing yell.  **“Hey! Come on out, everyone! Olly-olly-oxen-free!”**

The laugh burst out of Vyse without any control at all; there were plenty of code phrases that the Blue Rogues had developed for use whenever the island had visitors, but Aika had come up with that one when they were seven, right before they went on their first mission. Unsurprisingly, none of the other Blue Rogues under his father had ever used that one. It was wholly an Aika-only trait, and it had the desired effect.

The island’s three middling children, Lyndsi, Jimmy and Alan came barreling out of one of the houses screaming Aika’s name, while Pow chased after them barking all the while. “Aika! Aika’s back! And Vyse!”

The happy shouts of the children also brought a couple of the adults back out of hiding as Vyse and his merry band came down the rebuilt ramp to the village square. Martha was a welcome sight, but when her husband Briggs came out behind her, Vyse was a little taken aback.

His father’s vice-captain had nothing but smiles and warmth as he ran up to them all, brushed his extended hand aside, and pulled Vyse in for a bone crushing hug. “Thank the Moons you’re still alive.” Briggs laughed. “When we spied a new Valuan ship closing in…”

“Stolen.” Vyse coughed, patting the older man on the back until Briggs let go of him. “Good to see you too, Briggs.”

Meanwhile, Pow and the ‘trouble trio’ as Vyse thought of the two boys and the one girl who always accompanied the village’s mascot Huskra wasted no time in bounding up to Aika and Fina and hounding them with questions.

“You’re back! You’re okay!”

“Where  _ were _ you? You were gone for so long!”

“Is that your  _ ship _ ? Where’d you get that ship?”

“I want a ride on it!”

“Me too!”

“Me too, me too!”

“Now, come on you three.” Aika laughed, sounding the most like herself that she had in days. The redhead knelt down in front of them and gave each of the kids a hug. “Where else would we have been? We were out causing trouble for Valua, that’s what we were doing!” And then she looked to the two other members of their party who fidgeted, and grinned. “Oh, we brought you a friend too. Marco, come over here.”

Marco grumbled a bit but did as Aika asked, shuffling over with his head pointed down. 

“Marco, this is Lyndsi, Alan, and Jimmy. Kids, this is Marco. He’s from Valua, and he doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

“He doesn’t?” Lyndsi exclaimed, the blond-haired girl’s eyes going wide. She got a determined look in her eye and came forward, grabbing at Marco’s hand. “I’ll be your friend. People need friends.”

“I...I mean, what?” Marco stammered, shocked that the girl was being so forward. Vyse knew why he was so stymied. Lyndsi’s bubbly happiness went against everything the boy’s hard-knock life had drilled into him. He jerked his head over to Vyse, seeking instructions, and Vyse just chuckled. 

“Why don’t you and the boys go play with Marco for a while, Lyndsi? And I bet he’d love some of your mother’s cookies.”

“Play? Cookies? What?” Marco stammered again, as Lyndsi tugged on his arm and started dragging him away.

“You’re from Valua? You don’t look mean. Everyone from Valua is mean!” Lyndsi kept on going, chattering a mile a minute, and the other two boys trailed after the pair of the girl and the panicking Marco, adding to the chaos.

Aika broke out into another wild laugh and Fina giggled through her hand. Vyse cracked a wide smile. “I think I might have created a monster there.”

“That’s not all you’ve done.” Briggs muttered, looking over to Enrique with narrowed eyes. “Vyse, is that who I think it is?”

Enrique doffed his beret and bowed formally. “I am Enrique du Valua, Crown Prince of the Empire.”

“He’s with us.” Vyse said, cutting off the head of steam he could feel building beneath Briggs’ skin. His wife Martha made a surprised noise at the revelation, and Vyse elaborated. “We couldn’t have broken out of the Great Fortress the second time without his help.”

Briggs paled. “Perhaps we’d better discuss this inside.” He said, and pointed back towards his house.

“There’s a lot to discuss.” Vyse went on, not to be denied. “For starters though, we need to hide the  _ Delphinus _ . Is my father here, or is he still back at the hidden base?”

“...He’s still there. Along with your mother and the rest of the crew still working on rebuilding the ship.” Briggs conceded, side-eyeing Enrique. “Do you vouch for the prince here?”

“We can’t help who our fathers are.” Vyse grumbled, tired of the run-around. “And I have questions for dad. And you.”

“About what?” Briggs asked, puzzled.

“About the founding of the Blue Rogues twenty years prior, I would think.” Enrique offered diplomatically. “I have been in Vyse’s company for three days now, but even I could see it weighs heavily on his mind.”

“All my life, I was told that the Blue Rogues stood against tyranny and oppression.” Vyse snarled. “I didn’t know that we were born from it.”

Briggs sighed, and ran a hand over the back of his head. “It’s complicated, Vyse.”

“What isn’t?” Vyse muttered, walking past Briggs. “I’m going to go talk with Marco and make sure he knows we’re not abandoning him here, and then we’re flying the  _ Delphinus _ out to Alpha Base.”

“I’m sure it will make your father so pleased to see a new model of Valuan warship sailing straight for his door.” Briggs pointed out sarcastically. “And in royal purple, no less.”

“If you know where we can get a few hundred gallons of weatherized blue paint, you’re more than welcome to spruce it up.” Vyse countered dryly.

 

***

 

_ Blue Rogues Alpha Base  _

_ Sky Rift Valley (Northwest of Pirate Isle) _

_ 112 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Alpha Base was nowhere near as grand as the underground harbor on Pirate Isle, but it did have the benefit of being so obscure and off of the beaten path, tucked into a set of lush and wild islands covered in forests and mountain ranges sitting crowded between multiple sky rifts that nobody would have dared to settle there.

At least, nobody that wasn’t a Blue Rogue or a smuggler. Or in Dyne’s case, both.

The Delphinus lay hovering in a wide crevasse with a wild forest jutting up on either side of it, and an enormous camouflaged tarpaulin stretched out above it. Faint traces of light filtered through the canvas covered in sewn on greenery. They kept the thing idling to maintain its hover as there was no docking facility anywhere large enough to accommodate it. Not even the underground base on Pirate Isle could have fitted the  _ Delphinus _ . 

Tucked away into a cavern that had been painstakingly hollowed out further along the valley in a wall, Alpha Base housed a significant cache of emergency supplies and gear that Dyne and the crew of the  _ Albatross _ had squirreled away over the years. It had ended up being their saving grace, because keeping that much materiel off base had clearly allowed them to start building their next ship soon after. 

“You’ve been busy.” Vyse said, sizing up the outer hull of the  _ Albatross II  _ as he stood beside it. 

“Not as busy as you, apparently.” Dyne answered him, standing at a distance away from his son. When they’d arrived, there had been a few moments of panic before Vyse and Briggs had emerged and given the report for  _ all clear-bringing visitor _ . Then his mother had descended on him with a happy wail and hugs and kisses for him, and then for Aika and even Fina.

Enrique had been the shock that broke the reunion, and there had been a fair amount of awkwardness there. Everyone had seemed more than willing to table further discussion and return to the work at hand. Vyse had questions, but Briggs had asked him before they arrived to at least speak to his father about it in private.

“It’s been an eventful voyage.” Vyse conceded. “What have you heard?”

“Just the scuttlebutt from the merchants that have passed through.” Dyne said. “That you sailed into the desert and fought off a red monster and the admiral controlling it. Then there was talk of a new land that Valua had kept hidden for years, Ixa’taka. And another monster.”

“Recumen and Grendel.” Vyse explained. “The Gigas of the Red and Green Moons.” He made a face. “Admiral Belleza tried to kill us with Recumen, and would have won if we hadn’t outflown her. And Grendel…” He shivered there. “Fina was  _ furious _ at the king for unleashing it. The man did it to fight off the Valuans and free his people, but it almost cost them everything. Grendel survived the Rains of Destruction, and her ancestors had to come and put it to sleep. It came too late for the Green Civilization. It’s why Ixa’taka is a primitive society now.” Vyse let that sit there between them for a while, giving his father a chance to digest the horror of monsters that survived the breaking of the ancient world and admirals and kings who thought they could be controlled.

Then Vyse dredged up his anger. “There was another Blue Rogue in Ixa’taka. Centime the Tinker.”

“Centime?” Dyne’s head shot up, and father and son looked at each other, Dyne in surprise and Vyse with anger.

“He told me a few things about the Blue Rogues I didn’t know. Things about you.”

Dyne didn’t flinch, didn’t pale, didn’t look guilty. He just kept up the stare between them. “So. You know, then.”

“Were you ever going to tell me that you served under a Valuan flag? That you were the  _ enemy _ once?!” Vyse snarled.

Dyne sighed and folded his arms. “I’m not from Valua, Vyse. Neither is your mother. We both grew up in the islands under the silver moon. So did Aika’s mother. Her father was a Nasrian merchant. You have to understand, Valua was very different before the war 20 years ago. The King was still alive. The Queen was always high strung, but she was happier then. Valua didn’t fancy itself an empire, but it was prosperous. For those of us who wanted to make something of ourselves, to belong to something that we could be proud of?” He shrugged.

“Then it changed, is that what you’re telling me?” Vyse accused him.

“It  _ did _ change.” Dyne muttered. “The king was killed. The queen found herself with a five year old son and the task of holding herself and her son’s kingdom together. It broke her, I think. And then Galcian...Galcian slipped in with promises of glory and vengeance and expansion so that nobody would ever threaten Valua again. He ended up as Lord Admiral, in charge over all the more senior officers.”

“How long?”

“What do you mean?”

“How long did it take before you and the others quit?” 

“Not long at all.” Dyne said. “The first time I was given an order that I knew was wrong? To firebomb an island who refused to bend to Valua’s will? I met with the other officers on board that I knew were sympathetic. I was the first lieutenant then, vice-captain on my ship. Centime was the engineer.”

Vyse nodded and turned to look back at the  _ Albatross II. _ “Why didn’t you ever tell us? Tell Aika and me the truth?”

“It wasn’t important.” Dyne said, then sighed when Vyse hissed at it. “What do you want me to say, son? Did I feel guilty? Yes, but not enough. I’m not ashamed of where I started out. I am ashamed that the rest of the Admiralty stood by and let it happen. Especially Gregorio. If anyone should have stood for what Valua was supposed to be, I would have thought it would be him.”

Vyse could have just kept being angry, really. It would have been too easy. But really, hadn’t secrets caused enough hurt in his life? And the Blue Rogues...they were few in number. Scattered. Centime was in Ixa’taka. His father was here, still rebuilding. Clara was out in the wind, and with any luck, Gilder was finally listening to his heart. 

“You’ll tell me the truth from now on?” Vyse asked his father, finally turning away from the ship to look back at him.

Dyne looked relieved at the opportunity. “Yes. You’re a captain of the Blue Rogues in your own right. And now you have a ship of your own.”

“Why Blue?” Vyse asked him. “I get why you split from Valua, why you did. But why that color?”

Dyne scratched his chin, and looked a little embarrassed. “It’s not as important as you seem to think, Vyse.”

“Why, then?”

“Blue is your mother’s favorite color.” Dyne said. Vyse stared at his father, then let out a disbelieving laugh. Dyne ended up laughing as well. “I’m serious. And since none of us really felt like calling ourselves pirates...Well. We became Rogues. Blue Rogues.” Father and son kept chuckling for a good ten seconds afterwards, and Vyse shook his head.

“Unbelievable.”

“Valua wasn’t always the monster it is now.” Dyne kept on, turning serious again. “The Blue Rogues? We are what the Armada should have been.”

“Protect the weak. Stand against tyranny. Never back down. Fly free.” Vyse uttered, repeating the hallmarks of the Code. “You know, dad, I’ve been thinking about the Code of the Blue Rogues a lot lately. It seems...unfinished.”

“You want to add more to it?”

“I think I need to. After everything we’ve seen, experienced? Fought against?” Vyse shook his head. “If we’re going to give people something to rally behind, the Blue Rogues need to change. It’s not enough to fight Valua, dad.” He clenched his hand into a fist for a moment, and then released it. “We have to give them something better to replace the Empire with.”

 

His father stared at him for several long seconds, long enough that Vyse wondered if he’d gone too far, said something that offended him. But then Dyne took the two steps that separated them and pulled him into his arms, and hugged him tightly.

“You have become a good man, Vyse.” Dyne said, and his voice was tight, on the verge of tears. “You’ll be the best of all of us.”

“...I just want you to be proud of me, dad.”

“I’ve always been proud of you, son.” Dyne choked out, and Vyse buried his eyes into his father’s shoulder to hide his own tears. That proximity was the only reason he caught the slight quake in his father’s stance. “I just hope that you’re still proud of  _ me _ .”

“Always, dad.” Vyse answered him, and held on tight. “Always.”

 

***

 

_ Pirate Isle _

_ 114 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Evening _

  
  


Suppertime on Pirate Isle, for Vyse and Aika and Fina (And Enrique), was held at his parent’s house. It had been months, but he could still remember the last time that they had all been under one roof before. Fina had been so surprised by everything back then, and Aika had been almost sulking. 

That wasn’t how their dinner progressed tonight. Both his father and his mother were eager for every detail of their journey, and Aika sat next to Fina, almost shoulder to shoulder with the Silvite as they laughed when Vyse recounted how they’d ended the threat of the Larso pirate clan in Maramba. 

His mother dabbed at her eyes with a napkin and tried to get a handle on herself. “You...you’re telling me that, that...that all that precious little boy wanted to do was go make carpets with his mother?” 

“Swear by the Moons, mom.” Vyse chuckled. “You know, we should check in with him again sometime. He did offer to give us one of his carpets for free as thanks for helping him find the courage to speak up to his bodyguard about it.”

“You face your enemies in battle and find the strength of character to change them.” Enrique praised him. “You have a rare gift, Vyse. There is as much of a peacemaker about you as there is a warrior. I am glad to be with you.”

“I must admit, Prince Enrique, I was surprised to see you again, and in the company of my son no less.” Dyne said, shifting the conversation to a more serious topic. 

Enrique paused, his fork hovering over his mashed greens. “We’ve met before, Captain Dyne?” He asked. 

“A long time ago.” Dyne said, not yet smiling at the man. “You would have been...four? Not quite five years old? Your father was still alive, he was making a tour of some of the ships of the Armada, not long before the Valua-Nasrian war began.”

Enrique smiled faintly. “I regret that I do not remember that event very well. I did like being on ships as a child, I think. But I do have a clear memory of my father’s funeral, and...mother.” He pursed his lips and looked down. “Was Valua  _ ever _ good?”

Vyse looked between the prince and the first Blue Rogue. Dyne leaned back in his seat.

“What do you mean by that, Prince Enrique?”

“Uncle Gregorio...well, Admiral Gregorio, he just let me call him uncle, he almost raised me afterwards. Mother was too busy running the empire after father passed away, and Gregorio always said a true Valuan acted with honor and virtue in every part of their life.”

Dyne stroked at his chin. “I see.”

“Was he wrong?” Enrique asked again. “Was I raised to believe that Valua was something it never was? Was all of the talk about honor and virtue and service nothing more than empty platitudes used by corrupt men like Galcian to crush the weak under their feet?”

“You’ve worried about this a lot.” Dyne stated, drinking from his glass of smallbeer to prolong his response. 

“He  _ did _ commit treason to help us escape, dad.” Vyse pointed out. “I think he’s past the point of worrying.”

“So he is.” Dyne agreed. He sized up the prince and nodded. “Your father was a good man. He was a noble king, well-respected. When storms blew through the islands that Valuan ships went to, that Valuan warships patrolled, we had standing orders to render assistance. We chased off Black Pirates, and didn’t go looking to expand or to cause trouble. Under his leadership, under Gregorio’s? There  _ was _ honor and virtue, and where it didn’t exist, it was scoured out.”

Dyne set a hand on the table and drummed his fingers slowly. “I see a great deal of your father in you, prince. Valua is a mirror of the people who lead it. It reflects what they value, and what they live by. Valua itself was never good. But a  _ True Valuan _ can be just, and noble, and virtuous.” He pointed at Enrique. “You have the strength of a king in you, Enrique. Just like my son has the heart of an admiral.”

“That’s why you founded the Blue Rogues, isn’t it?” Enrique realized. “You saw the direction that the empire was headed.”

“I could not be true to myself and my values and be a part of it.” Dyne smiled. “I could only stand against it. Just as you are now doing. As you are helping my  _ son _ to do.”

“Vyse is more of a leader than I could ever be.” Enrique protested. “I did not do this to try and take the crown by force, I promise you.”

“I know.” Dyne said calmly, easing the flare of tension between them. “You acted with only the best of intentions. You’ve given the world a chance to stand against oppression.” He looked to Vyse, his eyes severe. “Has he taken the oath yet?”

“No, Captain Dyne.” Vyse said, his voice thick as he deferred to the authority of the eldest Blue Rogue.

“May I administer it?” Dyne asked, and Enrique drew in a breath. “If you would serve under my son, if you would follow this course, you will do it as a Blue Rogue, Prince Enrique. You will do it as the man that you were destined to be.”

Enrique pushed away from the table and stood up slowly, and took a knee on the floor. Dyne stood and went to the far wall, drawing a ceremonial sword that was marred by soot, but still intact. Aika inhaled sharply, Fina pressed her hands to her mouth. Vyse watched with pride.

“Prince Enrique of the Valuan Empire kneels before this body, hereforth to declare himself as a Blue Rogue. Now he sails toward a new horizon, and seeks the blessings of the Moons as he takes the Oath of the Blue Rogues. Are there any here who would speak against him receiving it?”

Not a sound answered him.

Dyne nodded. “Hearing no voice of dissent, let us continue. Who would sponsor this man?”

Vyse stood up. “I, Captain Vyse of the Blue Rogues, sponsor this man.”

Aika came up next, her face full of pride and fury. “I, Aika of the Blue Rogues, stand with this man.”

And even Fina stood, not knowing the ceremony, but feeling that she had to. She looked to Vyse for consolation, and he smiled and nodded at her in reassurance. “I, Fina of the Silvites, stand with this man.”

Dyne nodded, not once breaking his mask of severity. “Then Enrique, Prince of Valua, son of the rightful king Mathias du Valua, speak the Oath of the Blue Rogues, and take your place among us.” Only then did he look over to Vyse and give the slightest nod of his head, giving his son permission to speak and assist.

Vyse did so, coming over to stand behind Enrique. “Repeat after me.” He whispered. So Enrique did, one vow at a time.

“Blue Rogues leave nobody behind. Blue Rogues never back down from a greater danger. Blue Rogues always help out those in need. Blue Rogues never give up. And Blue Rogues Fly Free.”

**_“Blue Rogues Fly Free!”_ ** Aika and Vyse shouted, startling both Enrique and even Fina.

Dyne brought his sword down, rested the point of it on both of Enrique’s shoulders, and then pulled it back. When Enrique lifted his head up, the prince was beaming through watery eyes, and Dyne himself was smiling. 

“Stand, Enrique. And welcome to the Blue Rogues.” 

He was promptly tackled and hugged half to death by the laughing, giggling, crying trio of Blue Rogues he had rescued from the Grand Fortress.

 

***

 

The rest of dinner went by with even more freeness and revelry, as Dyne produced a bottle of wine as they finished the meal to toast Enrique’s formal admittance into the ranks. Ordinarily, it would be a much more raucous ceremony with the others, but as most of the crew of the  _ Albatross II _ was still busy continuing construction work, they made do with their smaller numbers, and limited their intake under his mother’s sharp eye. When it came to the question of sleeping arrangements, she was quick to act.

“Well Vyse, we’ve got your bedroom upstairs looking almost like it was before, so you’ll be staying there tonight. And Aika, we rebuilt your house, kept the same floor plan. I hope you don’t mind, we didn’t have a smaller mattress on hand, so we had to give you a larger bed than you had before. We were short on blankets as well, but it’s still warm enough that you’ll be able to make do with your sheets.”

“Where will I be staying, madam?” Enrique asked. 

“Oh, I think that Briggs and Martha set up the couch at their place for you, dear. It’s probably not what you’re used to, being royalty and all, but…”

“It will be fine.” Enrique said, smiling and holding up a hand to stop her apology. “We’ll be sailing on the  _ Delphinus  _  soon enough. I will have to become accustomed to rough living, and better to start here in the warmth of a good home with good people.”

“Watch out, he’s a smooth talker.” Aika muttered under her breath, and Vyse stifled a laugh as he set his wineglass back on the table.

“We’ll set you up on our couch as well, Fina, like we did last time.” His mother went on.

“Actually, Mrs. Dyne, if you don’t mind, I’ll just have Fina stay with me.” Aika said brightly. “When we were flying on the  _ Little Jack _ , space was kind of an issue, so we just got used to sharing a bed. Especially since you gave me a bigger one than before, it’d be a shame to let it go to waste.”

“Are you sure, dear?” Vyse’s mother asked, not quite sold on the idea. Aika wrapped an arm around Fina’s midsection and pulled her into a jovial side hug. 

“Positive!” She grinned. Vyse kept a straight face, even as he wanted to smirk. There was the  _ other _ reason that the two girls almost always slept together beyond convenience. 

Two reasons. The sex, obviously, but...also, the intimacy. They almost needed each other to sleep peacefully, almost more than he needed them. The voyage across the Southern Ocean had been the start of it, he knew that now after their pillow talks. If his mother suspected...but she didn’t. It wasn’t how she’d been raised. To his mother Relena, the girls were just ‘good friends.’ 

He wouldn’t lie if she asked him directly, Vyse knew, but he wasn’t about to go advertising the truth of it either. 

“Well, then it’s all settled.” His mother declared, picking up the last of the dishes and moving them to the sink. “I know you all will probably want to get an early start in the morning back at Alpha Base for the next leg of your voyage, so we’ll say good night here. Sleep well, dears!”

Vyse went through the rest of the evening almost on routine. He gave his father another hug, shook Enrique’s hand and told him he’d see him in the morning, and was glomped by both Aika and Fina for a group hug that in no way measured up to what any of them actually wanted to do. But...his parent’s house, and they hadn’t openly declared themselves yet, anyways. All Aika had managed was a knowing smile and a too platonic kiss to his cheek before she hooked her arm through Fina’s and the two girls went off into the night, giggling.

He made his way upstairs to his bedroom and fought off his initial impulse of leaping out the window and sneaking over to Aika’s. He knew his mother too well; she’d be coming up to say good night. So instead he opened up his window to let in the cool night air, poured himself a drink of water to counteract the wine from dinner, and started reviewing his Sailor’s Journal. He needed a new one, and desperately. When they got back to Alpha Base tomorrow afternoon, he’d need to see about procuring one and getting Aika to cast the protective weatherization spells on it to spare it from water damage. Actually, Fina might be able to do the same thing, now that he thought about it. 

A knock on the bottom of the ladder that went up to his bedroom caught his attention, and shortly after, his mother climbed up and smiled at him.

“There’s my handsome boy.”

“ _ Mom _ .” Vyse sighed. “I’m a man now, remember? Dad said I was in front of pretty much the entire village?”

“You’ll always be my boy, that’s how it works when you’re a parent.” She grinned at him. “Come to think of it, Jessica? She’s pregnant now, has one on the way. She’ll be able to put her knitting skills to good use.”

“How have things been here, mom? Really?” Vyse asked, changing the subject.

“Oh. It’s had its ups and downs, but knowing that our husbands are all back and safe has been a relief, even if they spend most of their time away from the island. It was a little touch and go at first, with the Valuan patrols stopping by more frequently to make sure that they hadn’t returned, but they gave up after about a month and a half. I suppose you gave them something else to worry about.”

“Was Marco good for everyone while we were gone?” Vyse asked, tucking his journal away and yawning. 

“Oh, he’s a little terror, but no worse than Alan or Jimmy. I think Lyndsi’s taken a shine to him.”

“Mom, he’s  _ twelve. _ ” Vyse groaned. “And she’s ten. Isn’t that a little young to be playing matchmaker?”

“I’m not encouraging anything that isn’t already bubbling between them, Vyse, you know me.” His mother said cheerfully. Vyse turned his back to her before he rolled his eyes. Yes, he knew her. That was the problem.

She sighed, and he tensed up. He knew what was coming next. “Speaking of playing matchmaker...I see that Aika and Fina are getting along better than when you all left before.” 

“Risking your lives with people tends to do that.” He said, turning around slowly. “If we didn’t trust each other, we wouldn’t have been able to come this far.” 

“And they’re both still very sweet on you.” She went on, staring him down with something just shy of disapproval. “Did you ever decide which one you were going to be with?”

“Why would I want to choose between them?” Vyse asked. “They’re fine the way they are.” Which was true, but it also danced around what she was driving at. “I care about them very much.”

“You shouldn’t string them along like this, Vyse, it isn’t proper. You need to make up your mind, so you can still be friends with whichever one you don’t start dating. A woman’s heart is a delicate thing. Cause it too much pain, and it will break.”

“I know that.” Vyse said back to her, smiling as he thought of them, saddened because of the pain Aika had gone through. Was still going through. “And I’m not going to hurt them. Either of them. Okay, mom? It’ll be all right. Do you trust me?”

The worry on her face didn’t go away, but her disapproval melted. “Yes, I do Vyse. Okay. I’ve said all I’m going to say tonight.” She walked over and kissed his forehead, then stepped back. “I’m so happy you came back to us. Sleep well, son. I love you.”

“Night, mom. I love you too.” He kept on his placid smile until she went back down the ladder to join his dad for the evening, and then let it drop away as he sighed softly and shook his head. He waited until quiet descended over the house and the lights downstairs had been doused, then snuck silently out the window and shimmied down from the roof. He’d done it often, but it was always to grab Aika and get up to some kind of mischief.

 

It meant so much more now as he made his way across the village, clinging to the shadows, until he was in front of the house that they had rebuilt for her. Her parent’s house, which had become hers when they died. He stopped briefly by the wall outside of her bedroom and traced the surface of it with a hand. The hole she had kept covered with a towel was missing now. 

The village wasn’t the same anymore. Nothing was. Vyse pressed his head against the side of Aika’s rebuilt house and closed his eyes.

Nothing was the same. The village was all new. His father was building a new ship. Nasrad had burned, Drachma was lost to Rhaknam.

Nothing was the same. They had crossed the Southern Ocean. They had freed Ixa’taka. They had gathered two Moon Crystals. They had survived the Grand Fortress, stolen Valua’s newest ship. He had fallen in love. Aika, his best friend, was his lover, and so was Fina, the girl who had stumbled into their lives.

Nothing was the same, but Vyse opened his eyes and smiled. Nothing was the same. And he was all right with it.

Vyse stepped around to the front door and knocked gently, waiting under the glow of the silver moon and listening with sharp ears as soft footsteps came close.

The door opened a crack and Fina’s head appeared. When she saw it was him, she smiled brightly and pulled the door open the rest of the way, stepping back inside. She hadn’t dressed for bed yet, and her Silvite dress with the cutout over her cleavage glowed faintly in the moonlight. Vyse stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then pulled Fina in close and kissed her deeply.

“Hey, lovely.” He smiled after they pulled apart, then looked around until he spied Aika sitting on the edge of her bed in a loose nightdress, brushing out her long red hair. “How are my two favorite women doing?”

“She’s…” Fina started softly, glancing back in hesitation. When Vyse looked at her, he realized why Fina was concerned. Aika was staring off into space and running on muscle memory alone. Even in the dim light of the house from the candles, she was too quiet and withdrawn.

Vyse bit his lip. She was trapped in her thoughts again. She was thinking of  _ Vigoro _ . 

 

“Let me talk to her.” Vyse told Fina, stroking her cheek once before walking to the exposed bedroom. Everything in Aika’s house was an open floor plan, with no walls and only a few bracing pillars to keep the roof up. 

As soon as Vyse drew near, Aika noticed his approach and reacted, flinching away and letting out a small yelp. She was still breathing hard when Vyse stopped moving and watched her eyes slowly lose that wildness, slowly begin to recognize him again.

“Vyse.” The redhead whispered. “I…”

“You’ll have to stop telling me that you’re sorry one of these days, Aika.” Vyse told her quietly. 

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine, I’m just…”

Vyse snapped his arm forward and closed his hand around her forearm, and she froze with a gurgle of terror. He let go immediately and shook his head. “You still feel him, don’t you?”

Aika’s brown eyes stared at him, and it was several seconds before the girl made a muffled whimper and managed the smallest nod. Vyse bowed his head.

“It’s not you.” Aika told him weakly. “I swear it isn’t, Vyse. But…”

Fina came over and joined them, pensive and caring. “But whenever he walks towards you, whenever he reaches out for you, you flinch away from him. From  _ Vyse _ . Because for that first moment, you don’t see him for who he is. You see Vigoro.”

“I’m fine. I’m getting over it.” Aika protested. “I just...I need…”

“What  _ do _ you need?” Vyse asked her gently, trying not to sound hurt, and knowing by how she whimpered that he’d failed at it. “Aika, we love you. We want to help you.”

“I know.” She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her fingers. “I know you do. I know that you don’t think I’m  _ tainted _ or worthless, or anything like that. I’m trying. You’re right. I do see him. I see him, and I try to tell myself that I’m fine, that he isn’t here, that it’s over with. But then you...And I see  _ him _ , and I panic.” She finally broke down at that, and sobbed. “I don’t know what to do. I’m sick of it. I want things to go back to the way they were before we were captured.”

Fina sat down beside Aika, and the other girl fell into her arms with great gulping gasps. The Silvite ran a hand down her back, humming softly.

And Vyse stood, aching to touch her, to love her, to be with her and to heal her. “Tell me what you need.” He got out. “Whatever you need. If you need me to go, I’ll go. If you need me to stay, I’ll stay. I want to help you stop hurting. I want you to smile again. I want you to not be afraid of me.”

Aika drew in one shuddering breath after another, and after half a minute, calmed herself down enough to kiss Fina’s lips hard enough to bruise them. And then she looked up, tears still in her eyes at him, and his breath caught.

“Make me forget him.” Aika begged Vyse. 

It took both him and Fina working together over two solid hours to make it happen, but they did finally exorcise the last traces of Vigoro from her body and her mind. And when they slept afterwards, soaked in sweat and fluids on stained and tousled sheets, Vyse and Fina curled around their lover and she didn’t panic.

She slept peacefully with a smile on her face.

 

***

 

_ Aika’s House, Pirate Isle _

_ 115 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Early Morning _

  
  


Relena, wife of Dyne and mother of Vyse, had long been a hard worker. She was used to rising before the sun did to get started on breakfast, and the return of her son and his friends had been a blessing that left her buzzing with energy. Eager to give the two girls a proper housewarming, she prepared a meal of savory meats, fresh biscuits, and tantalizing fruit for Aika and Fina to enjoy after they woke up. Expecting that Vyse would sleep in, as he hadn’t made a sound since last night, she hiked up her skirt and hauled the covered tray of food across the village to Aika’s place.

There were no locks on the doors, they were all Blue Rogues and the families and friends of Blue Rogues, after all. A polite knock was all any of them needed, but Relena held off in case the girls were still sleeping. She braced the tray against her hip with one hand and turned the knob on the door, and it swung into the house silently.

Aika’s father had been a Nasrian merchant before he settled down and married the girl’s mother, a spitfire that Relena had known as a girl and who had signed on with Dyne once the Blue Rogues began operating in earnest. Their house had been a reflection of his culture’s design, but with the homey furnishings and decor of Mid-Ocean, and the biggest thing about Nasrian homes was a focus on open spaces with no walls. A family lived openly.

Relena didn’t think anything of it as she meandered into the kitchen and took note of the candle stubs that had burned to their ends and the damp, musty smell in the air; apparently, the girls hadn’t bothered to blow them out before they went to sleep. She made a silent huff as she pulled out a fresh candle and replaced the stub on one of the candlesticks, then quickly lit it with a spark of red magic off of a fingersnap. The wick flared to life, and Relena got to work unloading the platters of food from the serving tray onto the counter in the dim candlelight. Sunrise would still be another half-hour, if her sense of timing was correct. 

The open kitchen filled with the smells of delicious, warm food as she finished setting out the platters and removed their covers. Curiously, Aika hadn’t yet stirred, and Relena heard nothing from over by the recessed bedroom space. Deciding that Aika might prefer to enjoy the food while it was still warm, she picked up her single candlestick and made her way across the house with silent footfalls.

 

As she neared the bed, she found Fina’s dress thrown almost haphazardly onto the floor ten feet away, next to Aika’s boots and skirt. She rolled her eyes at the sight and picked up the garment, carefully folding it up and laying it on the end table by the couch. Clearly, the girls had been too tired last night to care about laying out their garments for the next day. Relena grabbed her candlestick and turned back for the bed, preparing herself to see them both passed out and dead to the world.

She froze at a distance of three feet from the oversized mattress, and felt her voice catch in her throat when her heart leapt up into it. She had expected to see the two sleeping girls there. And they were there.

But so was her son. All  _ three _ of them were nestled in the bed, and…

 

She brought her free hand up to her mouth and covered it as her eyes flickered from one sight to the next, and her nose finally placed the musty smell she’d attributed to candle smoke and closed windows. 

Oh,  _ Moons _ , what had her son done? Which was a stupid question, she knew, but she wailed it in her mind regardless as she stared at him, naked as they were and only partially covered by a single bedsheet that seemed to have been pulled up and over more as afterthought than with full intent. 

Both of them. By the Moons, he had slept with  _ both _ of them. The stink of sex and the traces of dried fluids over their bodies was unmistakable. Vyse was spooned up behind Aika, one leg and cheek uncovered, and she knew if she pulled the sheet away, she would see her son’s…

_ Her son’s… _

 

Somehow, she kept from making a noise, and shook wildly instead in fear. What if he had gotten them pregnant?! How long had this been going on, this unnatural and deviant... _ thing _ between the three of them? What would people think if they learned of them? What if people already knew? What would his father…

But then, in the dim glow of the candlelight, Fina made a protesting murmur where she was lying on her side, faced towards Aika, and rolled towards the other girl. As Relena watched and swallowed her heart back down, Fina’s hand and arm pushed the bedsheet away to reveal Aika’s naked torso, and the wild tangles of dried, once-sweaty red hair that stuck to her shoulders and ended just short of her breasts. 

The Silvite girl’s hand reached between them, and her palm came to rest against Aika’s left breast. Fina let out a soft sigh and her fingers curled slightly around it, and even in her sleep, Relena could see that Aika smiled and relaxed into her touch with a warm hum. 

And they kept on sleeping. It served as a splash of cold water on all of Relena’s wild, panicked thoughts, and though she felt ashamed for continuing to stare, the mother forced herself to do so. Because nothing about this made sense to her, but it clearly didn’t bother either of the girls. Nor her son.

She stood there as still as a statue and watched, and tried to understand.

 

Relena didn’t know how many minutes she stood there, hovering over the children ( _ But they weren’t children, not anymore, were they? _ ) and watching them sleep. She watched them as Vyse stayed nestled behind Aika, and wondered how long it had taken them to fall into each other’s arms. She could tell by the outline of their bodies beneath the sheet that both Fina and Vyse had each reached for Aika’s hip, as if to anchor themselves to the young woman. She watched as Aika kept her head nestled onto Vyse’s arm, trapping it and using it as an extension of her pillow as she leaned back into him. By the curve of their legs, Relena could see that Fina had hooked one leg over and around Vyse’s, further bringing them together. She saw so many love bites and soft bruises on their necks, on Aika’s shoulders, on...on Aika’s…

But there was such a sense of  _ peace _ around the three of them, that when she finally could pull herself back, Relena found herself swallowing almost every panicked scream and shout. She cried silently and walked back to the kitchen, and stared at the food she had made for the girls ( _ Her son’s girls _ ) and was just lost.

She started a kettle for tea more out of habit, and toiled silently until the water was hot enough. With a teabag steeping in a mug, Relena sat down at the kitchen table, intentionally keeping her back to the bedroom, and drank in silence as the morning began to dawn. 

Relena could tell when they were awake. Aika was never one to be quiet, and that apparently included when she was caught out.  _ “Wuh-oh _ **_shit_ ** _!” _ That stirred her bedmates up as well, although Aika quickly shushed them, and there might have been some fevered gesturing because she heard the grunt of her son’s voice as he rolled over, and kept rolling over until he apparently rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a loud thump.  _ “Vyse! Shit, hang on!” _

“Good morning, dears.” Relena said, tasting the unnatural tang in her voice. It felt like she was speaking from outside of her body. She certainly felt like she was outside of it, anyways. 

Behind her came the sounds of harried shuffling as clothes were grabbed and hastily donned. “Morning, Mrs. Dyne! We’ll...we’ll be right there!” Aika called back to her, a touch louder than necessary. 

Relena hadn’t even  _ looked _ at the girl yet and Aika was terrified. Or maybe the three of them had just thought they’d have more time before they would have to explain it all. Still. No time like the present. 

Aika was the first to appear, wearing a terrycloth bathrobe that Relena had picked up from one of the merchants by chance and left as a housewarming gift. Her face was flushed and her hair was still wild and scattered, although she was making an effort to tie it all back into a less elaborate ponytail behind her head. Relena could tell, based on the revealed skin of a shoulder by her rapid movements, that the girl wasn’t wearing anything underneath it as she sat down across from her. “Erm..aheh…” Aika tried to start out, looking panicked.

Relena just swallowed another sip of her tea and then gestured to the food between them. “I brought you girls breakfast. Thought you might be hungry.”

“It smells great, Missus D. I’m  _ starving! _ ” Aika kept up her perky approach, grabbing for a piece of fruit.

“I would imagine you would be, after last night.” Relena said pointedly, feeling a little satisfaction when the young Blue Rogue’s hand fumbled for half a second. 

“Missus Dyne…”

Relena held up her free hand, silencing Aika’s first fumbled explanation. “Eat something first. We’ll talk when your...when the  _ other two _ are done getting dressed.” She was amazed how calm she sounded then, and Aika meekly started in on breakfast. A minute later, Fina and Vyse walked over, Vyse in his usual uniform and Fina in her silvery dress with the cutout along the top of her bosom. They all ate silently for a time, and Relena poured out cups of tea as everyone waited for someone else to break the ice. In the end, it was her son who finally bit the bullet and did so.

“So. You probably have questions, mom.”

She hummed at that, and looked between the two girls. “How long?” She inquired.

Vyse used the last of his second biscuit to sop up some dribbles of gravy, looking over to Aika sitting in the middle between himself and Aika. “If you mean how long have we...been an us…” he implied carefully, “About a week. Since Daccat’s Island.”

Relena felt herself nodding, and she stared down into her tea mug and sized it out. In reviewing the details, it seemed so obvious. The way Vyse had been so somber as he accounted for his time marooned on that island, and how he’d glowed about finding the treasure and Aika and Fina. Only now she realized that he hadn’t been smiling because he had discovered the secret of Daccat’s lost wealth, but had been reunited with them. It was so obvious in hindsight. Daccat had never really cared about wealth, if that letter and the single coin he left in his box was true. He had cared about the people in his life.

“Fina and I figured out our own feelings for each other when we were working in Nasrad to get the money together for a ship.” Aika added calmly, and Fina smiled gently and reached for her hand. As soon as her fingers touched the back of Aika’s hand, Aika reversed her wrist, and their fingers interlaced. “I was out of my mind worried about Vyse, heartsick and...and she saved me.”

“You saved me first.” Fina corrected her, looking past her to Vyse with a sparkle in her eye. A sparkle that Relena knew all too well, because it was the same one she felt every time she caught Dyne alone in a tender moment and the Blue Rogue faded long enough to just let him be the man she’d fallen in love with. “You both did.”

That they both loved her son made some sense, with time. But Relena still hesitated when she looked between the girls. They loved each other? A woman could love another woman? 

But it had to be love. No lust or sexual attraction could let them fake the easy intimacy, the  _ calm belonging _ that they radiated, the way that they leaned into each other. 

And Vyse...Vyse just chuckled and stretched his arm out, wrapping it around both of them and pulling them in closer until Aika was squashed between Fina and Vyse. She didn’t seem the least bit aggravated about it.

“So…” Relena gestured between them. “It’s not that Vyse just decided he wanted to sleep with the both of you and you went along with it?”

Her son frowned at that. So did Aika. Fina’s smile just thinned a little, and the Silvite hummed, electing to speak up and quelling the impulses of the other two with a look. “It isn’t. Look, Mrs…”

“You’re sleeping with my son.” Relena stopped her cold. “I think you can use my name now.”

“...Relena.” Fina amended, and pressed on. “I love Vyse. I love Aika. Aika loves Vyse, and she loves me. And Vyse loves the both of us. I know it probably sounds odd to you, but it works for us. And it wasn’t so unusual, in the world before the Rains of Destruction. I read about it when I was a girl.”

“Really?” Aika inquired, lifting an eyebrow humorously. “Was it  _ educational _ or  _ entertainment _ ?” And there, Fina finally blushed and looked away as Aika giggled. “Wow. Princess likes to read romance novels, who’da thought it?”

“The  _ point being _ Relena…” Fina huffed, recovering her composure. “It works for us.”

“This isn’t what I thought Vyse would do when I told him not to string you girls along.” The older woman breathed, taking another sip of her tea. “I thought he would choose one of you, let the other down easy and stay friends with them.”

“It would have broken him, mom.” Aika snapped. “It  _ did _ break him.”

“Aika, she doesn’t need to hear…” Vyse started carefully, but Aika snapped her head around and glared at him.

“She  _ does _ need to hear this, Vyse. Let me talk, okay?”

Vyse shut his eyes and nodded. Aika drummed her fingers on the table, fuming, and Relena worriedly scooted back a few inches. It wasn’t enough.

“After we crossed the Southern Ocean? After we reached Ixa’taka, that was when it hit us. How dangerous what we were doing really was. We were planning on going into the Moonstone Mines, and the king had put us up for the night. We were going to be walking into a trap, more than likely. I…” The redhead chewed on her lip, and Fina squeezed her hand again. 

Relena just watched.

“I offered myself to him. Kissed Vyse flat out and made it clear I wanted him to ravish me. And he said no. I lost my mind that night, even screamed at Fina. Because Vyse said that being with me wouldn’t be fair. To  _ her _ .”

“I couldn’t choose.” Vyse added softly. “Mom, I didn’t mean for it to happen, but...I fell in love with the both of them. I tried to picture my life with only one of them in it, and I knew it wouldn’t work.”

“So there we are, mucking around in Ixa’taka, fighting the Valuans, freeing the Ixa’takans, being big damn heroes and somehow surviving it all, and in my head, I decide, okay fine, Vyse doesn’t love me like that. That he loves Fina.” Aika went on, and it all poured out of her like a river of pain. “So after we leave Ixa’taka, we’re sailing through the North Ocean, and I try to put space between me and them. And when Vyse calls me on it, I blew up on him, on Fina, and just let it all out in the open. That I wanted him to be happy, and if that meant he was going to be with Fina, fine, but I couldn’t stand to sit around and watch the man I loved be with someone else and not with me.”

“And that’s when I finally came clean.” Vyse confessed. “To both of them. That I loved the  _ both _ of them, that I couldn’t choose between them because it wouldn’t be fair to  _ either _ of them. I knew how they were looking at me. I’d known for weeks what they both felt for me, because it was mutual. But I couldn’t...I couldn’t  _ do that _ to them. They deserved better.”

“And then we found Rhaknam, and we lost the  _ Little Jack _ and Drachma, and...we lost each other.” Fina concluded. “If I hadn’t had Fina there, I don’t know how I would have coped. I lost the man I loved. But I still had her.” The Silvite laughed sadly. “I understood how Vyse felt perfectly. And when I came out to Aika? Told her that there was a way forward for all of us to be happy? For the first time in weeks, there was hope in my heart, and she  _ smiled _ again.” 

“I thought they would both hate me.” Vyse said, looking at his women with tears in his eyes. “To find out that they both still loved me, that it  _ was okay _ for me to love the two of them, because they loved each other and three people could love each other and it wasn’t wrong? I held them tight and cried and thanked the Moons.” And he did so again, with the three of them huddling in close and pressing their foreheads together.

 

Relena swallowed hard, tears tracking down her face, and not for the first time that morning, found herself looking at something beautiful she barely understood. But, the mother realized, she didn’t have to. They did. That was enough.

“Mom, are you okay?” Vyse asked her. 

“No.” She said, sobbing once before it melted into a weak laugh. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m worried for you all, and I’m happy for you all, and I don’t know if this will last or if it will all come crashing down around you.”

“We talk about it. There are no secrets between us.” Fina explained. “There’s no guidebook for love, Relena. I looked. I never found one. All you can do is trust each other, be there for each other, love each other. And always talk about how you’re feeling.”

“Okay.” Relena finally dabbed at her eyes. “Okay. If this is what the three of you want, if this...makes you happy...I won’t stand in the way of it. I don’t know if the rest of the world will understand it though, or if they’ll approve of it.”

“They don’t have to.” Vyse cut in determinedly. “It’s none of their business.”

Relena stood up on shaky legs. “Can...Can I hug all of you?”

They didn’t use their words to answer her. They all stood up, walked around the table, and crowded into her with the warmest group hug Relena had ever had in her life. She cried a little more, but it didn’t have the same sting as before. The girls both cried a little as well.

“Can I call you mom now, like Aika did?” Fina asked softly. “I never knew my parents, and...I just…”

Relena hugged the blond-haired girl even tighter, pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Yes, Fina. You can call me your mother now.” The Silvite looked ready to bawl all over again, but Aika headed her off.

“Look on the bright side, Missus D. You get twice the grandchildren now.”

The laughter of the women filled the small home, and they laughed all the more when Vyse gaped dazedly. Relena still worried about them as they had so much left to do in the ongoing struggle against Valua, but she quietly, cheerfully, threw out the last of her fears about  _ them _ .

They had figured themselves out and they were happy.

A mother could ask for no more than that.

 

***

 

There wasn’t much of a ceremony when the three of them rejoined Marco and Enrique at the mooring dock. They were, after all, flying back to Alpha Base now that they’d had some much needed rest and picked up a few supplies.

Vyse’s mother still hugged the daylights out of all of them, even Enrique who managed a smile and a conciliatory pat on her back, and one for Marco that came with a wet kiss on the boy’s cheek that left him squirming and rubbing at his face.

“You stay in touch, you hear me?” She told her son sternly, and he nodded. “Prince Enrique, it was lovely to meet you. Do try and keep an eye on my son and his...his friends.” She amended, and Vyse smiled at her caginess. He had no doubt she would tell his father the truth of their complicated relationship in time, but for now, she was more than willing to preserve the secret between him, Aika, and Fina. 

“I shall do my very best, madam, to safeguard the life of your son and his comrades.” Prince Enrique promised solemnly. “I have given my oath as a Blue Rogue. I will protect my captain. And his crew.” To which the prince doffed his beret and then plopped it down on Marco’s tangled head of red hair. 

“Hey! Ease off there, cake eater!” Marco whined, shoving the beret back into Enrique’s chest and then mussing his hair back into place again. “Geez, can we go already? We’ve got a whole world to see!”

“Right you are, Sailor Marco.” Vyse said with mock seriousness. The effect was ruined when the island’s trouble trio came racing towards them, Pow in tow as always. Vyse blinked as Marco took one look at sweet little Lyndsi and went white as a sheet, scrambling on board Dyne’s skiff. 

“I’m not here!” Marco pleaded in a hissing whisper, leaving Vyse confused for the ten seconds it took the kids screaming Vyse’s name to reach them.

“Vyse! Vyse! Are you really leaving?” Jimmy asked worriedly. Vyse nodded with a grin.

“Uh huh. The skies are calling my name again. We’ve got a world to save, after all.”

“I wish we could come with you.” Alan said forlornly. He whistled, and Pow bounded up to his side. “But we talked it over, and we thought that since we couldn’t come with you, the least we could do was have you take Pow for the voyage. I mean, he’s taken a real shine to Marco, after all. I’d hate to see them get broken up.”

Vyse chuckled, looking over to the huskra that was the island’s mascot. “Well, Pow?” He asked the domesticated canine. “What do you say? You want to come with us, boy?”

“Pow! Pow!” The dog barked, jumping around a little. Vyse laughed and rubbed at the dog’s ears affectionately. 

“All right then. Welcome aboard, Pow.” Without waiting for a whistle, the huskra ran for the skiff and jumped on board, and Enrique smiled and followed the animal.

Lyndsi, however, puffed out her cheeks and stomped her shoe into the ground. “Vyse, where’s Marco?”

“Oh, I think he’s already aboard, but he’s belowdecks taking care of something.” Vyse answered carefully.

“Liar.” Aika mumbled softly, and Vyse ignored her.

Lyndsi stomped her foot again. “Ooh, that Marco!” She huffed. “I wanted to give him something!”

“If you want, Lyndsi, you could give it to me.” Vyse offered. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”

Lyndsi blinked hopefully. “You promise, Vyse?” 

“Of course.” He smiled as he knelt down to her height. “I’m a Blue Rogue. I keep my promises.” Then he held out a hand, expecting to get a cookie or a snack or a toy, or even a memento. 

He wasn’t prepared for Lyndsi to push his hand out of the way, skip in close, and give him a wet smooch on his cheek. When she pulled back, the blond-haired girl was giggling and blushing like mad, and pressed a hand to her mouth.

“There.” She said, and then darted away with a giggling squeal. Vyse blinked as he stood back up and looked over to Aika and Fina, who were trying to restrain their laughter, and struggling at it. 

“Oh, dear.” His mother said with a long-suffering sigh. “That boy is in  _ trouble _ .”

“Uh huh.” Vyse muttered, rolling his eyes. “And I made a promise. Which means  _ I’m _ in trouble.”

“Oh, no, Vyse. Not with us.” Aika crooned, clasping her hands together and making moon-eyes at him. “You have to give that to Marco now. It’s so  _ pwecious _ .”

“Well, you’d best not keep him waiting then.” His mother said brightly, giving them another wave. “Or your father. Moons know he probably has a hundred different things he needs to keep working on back at his secret base.”

“We’re going to need all the help we can get if this mess keeps spiraling out of control.” Vyse agreed, and hugged her one last time. “I love you, mom. We’ll see you soon.”

With Dyne at the helm of the skiff, they were soon puttering away from Pirate Isle and heading for the wilderness tucked away to the northwest. Only then did Marco finally emerge from belowdecks, and Vyse wasted no time in giving him Lyndsi’s ‘present’, although he transferred the kiss to his palm first before rubing the boy’s face with it. Marco squawked and jumped away, rubbing at his cheek. “Why did you do that?!” He shouted.

“Because I made a promise.” Vyse said. “Word to the wise, kid. Don’t make promises lightly. You always have to keep them.”

Aika wasn’t about to waste the opportunity, leaning in and grinning at the youngest member of their crew. “So. Lyndsi likes you, hmm? What did you do to make  _ that _ happen?”

“I don’t know!” Marco insisted, still rubbing at his face. “Girls are just weird! All I did was play with her and the other kids some, and talk about Valua, and then she decided to start following me around everywhere and she woulda pulled her hair out when it got caught if I hadn’t helped her get loose.”

Aika and Fina looked at one another as some unknowable thought passed between them, and then Aika just beamed even wider. “I think she’s sweet on you, Marco.”

“No way! Girls are gross! And Lyndsi is...she…” Marco stammered, blushing brightly. “She confuses me!”

As Aika and Fina broke into open laughter and Enrique managed to hold himself to a more dignified smirk, Vyse sighed and patted the boy on the shoulder. “That’s how it starts, Marco.”

“That’s how  _ what _ starts?” The boy demanded suspiciously. Vyse said nothing, and Marco nudged him. “Vyse! That’s how  _ what _ starts?”

“Why don’t you go check on Pow for me?” Vyse changed the subject. “We’ll have his feeding and cleaning be a part of your responsibilities from now on.” Marco grumbled, but headed off to see to the dog as he was ordered.

“You’re going to have your hands full with that one, I think.” Dyne mused.

“Believe me, I know it.” Vyse agreed. “But he’s a good kid, Captain Dyne. He’ll be a good Blue Rogue.”

“I trust you, son.” Dyne said, and his heart swelled at his father’s words of confidence. “So. Once we get to Alpha Base, the  _ Delphinus _ should be ready to fly. I had my crew load up as much moonstone fuel and repair kits and foodstores as we could spare. As a personal favor to you, and also because purple is an eyesore of a color, I’ve given you all of the blue ship’s paint we had on hand. It’ll manage one good coat, I think. But to fully stock and provision that ship is not going to be easy. My advice would be to head for Sailor’s Isle next, see about getting the rest of your provisions...and ammunition...there.”

“That’s a logical next step.” Vyse agreed. 

 

Dyne set the ship to autopilot, keeping it on the same bearing and at the same altitude, then turned to address the four of them more fully. “What’s your plan after that, Captain Vyse?”

“Keep finding the Moon Crystals before Valua does, so Fina can take them back to her people and hide them away.” Vyse said, looking to his blonde lover. “So where are we going next, Fina?”

“With the three remaining?” Fina considered it. “I think we should fly to the lands under the Blue Moon. They’re located to the east of Nasr, but getting there might be problematic. I think there was an impassable sky rift that separates the lands?”

“The Dark Rift.” Prince Enrique cut in, and he seemed pensive and worried. “I remember it. Supposedly, there is a land to the east at the edge of the world called Yafutoma. There were only ever scattered references to it in the royal library, and it was treated as myth, a fairy tale concocted by the air pirate king Daccat to bolster his reputation, as nobody ever managed to find it again. In fact, there was an expedition that set out when I was born that tried to get through the Dark Rift to reach the skies on the other side. It failed horribly.” Enrique rubbed at his arm. “I am sorry I don’t have better news for you, Vyse.”

“You think that’s bad news?” Vyse said, grinning. “Enrique, we need to work on your sense of adventure! We’ve got the best ship ever made. We’ve got a mission sent from the Moons to save the world, and we’re Blue Rogues. This is a chance to do what nobody else has ever done, go where nobody else ever has!”

“But we still need a crew, Vyse.” Aika argued. “We can’t fly, maintain, and fight in the Delphinus alone!”

“Hm. Then we’re going to have to pick them up along the way.” Vyse conceded, rubbing at his chin. He looked over to Enrique. “Where did you say the Dark Rift was?”

“South of Maramba, around the cape and through the World’s End sky rift just east of the start of the Southern Ocean.” Enrique recited. “Supposedly, the survivors of that failed expedition settled there on the southern end of the continent in sight of the Dark Rift’s singular aperture. Their town is called Esparanza.” 

 

Vyse hummed to himself, then drew out a rough map of the world as they knew it. “I think I’ve got an idea of where to fly. It’ll be a little roundabout, but if I’m right, and if I know people…we should be able to find our crew along the way. Or most of one, anyways.” And with the girls and Enrique watching, he laid out their circuitous route; Sailor’s Isle to Nasrad. Nasrad to Crescent Island, where Brabham and Izmael would be waiting for them. Through the frontier to Valua’s back door and the northern wastes, cutting across to the North Ocean and then flying south to Ixa’taka…and from there, across the Southern Ocean right to Maramba’s doorstep for a resupply before sailing for Esparanza. And the Dark Rift.

“This...could work.” Enrique agreed on reflection, and with increasing enthusiasm. “That is actually a fairly impressive bit of maneuvering. I do not see the Admiralty being able to deduce your motives with any great speed or foresight.”

“Well. I do love to keep the Valuans guessing.” Vyse grinned. “Aika? Fina? How does that sound to you?”

The girls shared another look, and then after Aika nudged her, it was Fina who nodded. 

“We are with you, captain. To the end of the world and beyond.” 

Vyse could hear the words, and the smile underneath.  _ You carry our hearts, love. Where else would we but by your side? _ He looked at Aika, and in her impish grin, he saw the same courage, trust, and mutual adoration. 

He was lost without them, and with them, he would never be lost again. “Then we have our heading.” He declared, slapping Enrique hard on the back. “Let’s change the world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look at that! Vyse's mom finally has a name! Take that, patriarchal video game developers!  
> In other game complaints, there is the matter of Yafutoma. Aside from setting up Aika's strange predictions about chopsticks and fish people, there is no plausible reason for Valua to be sitting on a trove of lore about the lands beyond the Dark Rift. Meanwhile, Daccat was said to have sailed to the lands 'under all six moons', so a myth about a historical pirate king who may have just been making shit up to pad his reputation, and that every rational historical advisor would caution you to take with a grain of salt? Much more plausible.   
> Now comes the real fun...retracing their steps, getting a crew, and ruining the Valuan's day all over again.


	22. A Flag Worth Flying For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vyse and his Blue Rogues reach Sailor's Isle, begin to recruit new crewmembers, and deal with would-be troublemakers. And through it all, Enrique continues to define his role and purpose among them, guided by his conscience and his heart.

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Twenty-Two: A Flag Worth Flying For**

  
  
  


Prince Enrique du Valua had grown up without a father. When he had been four years old, he had sat in the royal cathedral while his mother sobbed, stared at his father sleeping in an open wooden box, and wondered why he wouldn’t wake up. Then he’d started seeing his mother less and less, and ‘Uncle Gregorio’ took him under his wing. He received a proper and formal education, but he never went anywhere after his father’s funeral. His mother refused to allow it.

Gregorio taught him about honor and swordsmanship and true nobility, the qualities of a ‘True Valuan’. Enrique took to them like a duck to water. He had been given power, and that power carried the burden of leadership, of seeking the best for ones’ people. Yet there were times that Gregorio’s lessons...chafed. It took him years, but when Enrique was eleven and went to see his first execution in the gladiator’s arena of a group of smugglers who begged for mercy and were afforded only a sharper axe, something Gregorio had said to him finally sank in.

_ “Valua is not what it once was, my prince. But when you come of age, you might bring it back.” _ The old admiral had been his father’s closest friend within the military and once favored for the posting of Lord Admiral before the king’s passing and Galcian’s rise to prominence. He had smiled when he’d said that, but it had been a smile that never quite reached his eyes. After that gruesome sight in the arena, Enrique realized what Uncle Gregorio had meant. 

The Valua that he lived in, the Valua that declared itself an empire instead of a kingdom and blackened the skies from factories and forges that turned the countryside into barren stretches of land and open sores, had not been the Valua his father had died protecting. The Valua that he lived in was ruled by a queen who now called herself an empress and a hard-hearted Lord Admiral that almost never smiled. 

He had tried to change the Empire’s policy from within for years, and had always been rebuked. At the age of 25, he had given up suffering in silence, and he had given up on trying to change his mother’s mind. She was too hard-hearted. Too like Galcian. Too swept up in the misguided belief that Valua deserved to rule the world.

The continuing reports of the resistance of the Blue Rogues, one named Vyse in particular, came as a balm to him. Beginning with the interruption of the execution of a shipful of other Blue Rogues, Vyse had within the span of a day also recovered the Silvite girl captured by the Armada and then finally escaped the Grand Fortress, blowing past a blockading frigate at the gates and scraping through  _ while the walls were closing _ . 

From there came the report that he had defeated Admiral Belleza, survived the awakening of a terrifying monster called a Gigas, and claimed one of the precious Moon Crystals that his mother and the admiralty sought after. Her last notice was that they had taken her ship’s engine in totality and planned to sail across the Southern Ocean to reach the lands of Ixa’taka. When they didn’t appear there in a month’s time, the admiralty had considered the Blue Rogue lost to the abyss, a victim of hubris for trying to cross the uncrossable span. Enrique held out a hope that they didn’t. And sure enough, days after the Valuan forces in Ixa’taka believed Vyse the Blue Rogue lost at sea, he reappeared, bringing mayhem and chaos and a  _ prison break _ in his wake. And he outfought Admiral De Loco in the process, and humiliated Alfonso a second time.

Then the Gigas of Ixa’taka rampaged and the Armada fled, and Vyse and his red-haired companion and the Silvite girl and the crusty old arcwhale hunter who now flew with them somehow emerged victorious again. After-action reports hadn’t confirmed it, but they had projected with reasonable certainty that the Blue Rogue now held two of the precious Moon Crystals. 

The next report about Vyse said that the  _ Little Jack _ had been badly damaged in the middle of a fracas over Valuan territory between the 6th Fleet, Rhaknam, and the  _ Little Jack _ . Two lifeboats had been launched, but lost in the storm, and soon after, Rhaknam also disappeared, dragging the burning wreck of the  _ Little Jack _ behind it. This time, military intelligence wasn’t as quick to write off the Blue Rogue, but by then, other cogs had been moving.

The news of the burning of Nasrad had horrified Enrique, and that had come with the news that Vyse and his two female crewmembers had been captured as well, with no sign of Drachma or the old man’s ship. The Red and Green Moon Crystals had been recovered, Vyse and his companions minus the Silvite were locked in the Grand Fortress prison, and the end was in sight.

It was Enrique’s last chance to sway policy. He pleaded for a gentler hand. He evoked the memory of a father he only knew by secondhand accounts. His mother had snapped at him, dismissed him, wild in her rage.

Enrique had done all he could as the Crown Prince of Valua, and it had amounted to nothing. But he knew of a ship down at the docks, a mighty battleship with the most powerful weapon the Armada had ever produced. A ship meant for him, to be wielded in the conquering of the world.

_ Valua is not what it once was _ , the words of Admiral Gregorio burned in his heart. No, Enrique knew that full well. But in Vyse, in the achievements and methods of an air pirate who seemed to operate by his own code, he saw a way forward. He saw the hope for the world.

It should have been a terrible, painful, difficult thing to betray his people, assist in a breakout, and wage war against the empire’s military machine.

It had been painless, and terrifyingly easy. Vyse had told him flat out that he would be no prisoner aboard the  _ Delphinus _ . He would fly with them as a Blue Rogue, and a friend. Nothing less would do.

Then he had met Dyne of the Blue Storm, the first Blue Rogue. To meet the first Valuan officer who had turned away and fought against the wrongful actions of the nascent Empire had been an experience that Enrique had never thought he’d have. In Vyse’s father, he saw everything that made Gregorio smile sadly when his name was mentioned. When Dyne had administered the Oath of the Blue Rogues, Enrique’s heart nearly burst from the joy and pride that stemmed from it.

Honor burned bright in the Blue Rogues, the honor that Valua had lost and needed to regain.

Enrique du Valua was a self-exiled Prince, a Blue Rogue, and a part of Vyse The Bold’s crew. He at last felt proud of what he was doing. And this, as Vyse had fondly told him with a hand on his shoulder, was only the beginning.

 

***

 

_ The Delphinus, Engine Compartment _

_ Enroute to Sailor’s Isle _

_ 117 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


There was one major problem to Enrique’s otherwise successful wild plan of stopping his mother and Galcian’s mad ambitions; he had gotten violently airsick once the Delphinus cleared the Grand Fortress’s gate. A lifetime spent essentially trapped within the palace and on solid ground had given him no real sea legs to speak of. The nausea had been slightly better when he’d been at the helm of the great ship (because Vyse had insisted on teaching him at least the basics of maneuvering and navigation so that they could keep going even when Vyse had to sleep), but it was otherwise consistent. What medications the Blue Rogues had been able to provide only kept him from losing his lunch all the time, but the sense of nausea and dizziness persisted.

Vyse was up at the helm again as the massive ship kept flying for Sailor’s Isle, and the supplies they so desperately needed. They wouldn’t be able to stay for long; it was close enough to the Valuan border that news of their presence would quickly get to the Armada through their network of spies. With Marco cleaning the corridors of the crew cabins and doing his best to keep the Huskra called Pow from making any further messes, Enrique had volunteered to see to the preparation and delivery of breakfast. Thankfully, the rations provided to them by Captain Dyne were of the sort that didn’t have a scent to them; the smell of usual greasy breakfast fare would have set him off again.

Aika was right where Vyse had said she would be, and where Enrique would have gone to look in the first place even without his captain’s advice. The fiery redhead had donned a thicker layer of protective gear as she lingered in the complicated web of pipes and power conduits in the forward-most section of the engine compartment. 

“Miss Aika?” Enrique said carefully, and then with additional volume once he saw that she hadn’t heard him the first time. It took him tapping on a length of piping gently with a nearby screwdriver to get her attention, and she whirled around on him, her head and torso covered by thick leather and a steel helmet with a transparent visor.

Aika removed the helmet and stepped away from the assembly, then walked over in his direction with a faint smile. “Morning, Enrique. Breakfast run?”

“Breakfast run.” He confirmed, digging into the satchel bouncing off of his waist. “I hope you don’t mind, ration bars, jerky, and a little bit of fresh fruit is all we have.”

“That’ll do.” She thanked him, and took the meager fare off of his hands. He followed it up by hoisting a jug, and she reached for her canteen. “How’s Vyse doing today?”

“Fine, when I checked in on him. I think he’s eager to make port and see about picking up some proper supplies.” Enrique said. Aika set breakfast aside just long enough to remove her leather apron and the thick gloves that ran up to her elbows before diving into her meal. “Have you seen Miss Fina? I have her meal as well.”

“Ah, I think she’s still buried a little farther up and working on the Moonstone Cannon. I was planning on heading there to check up on her in a little bit myself, I could take it to her.”

“I can do it, it’s no problem.” Enrique insisted. Aika just smirked at him as she chewed down another bite of ration bar. 

“I’d believe that more if you didn’t look so peaked.” She hummed after swallowing it down. “There’s medicines that will help with the symptoms we should be able to find on Sailor’s Isle. I’ll try and remember, but be sure to remind me when we get there in case I forget.”

“I think that you have larger concerns than my difficulties with airsickness, Miss Aika.” He smiled at her. “The number of parts I’ve heard you talking about before positively boggles the mind.”

“This ship has  _ four _ propellor shafts powered by reciprocating engines, not including the maneuvering spinners.” Aika sighed. “The operating manual says that the system runs up to 6000 Lunnabars when we push this ship all-out; it’s a  _ beast _ , Enrique. There’s some Grade-A1 piping and joints on board, but we’re going to need more. Most Valuan warships only use Grade-A2, with Grade-A1 earmarked for flagships.”

Enrique raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

“Spend enough time raiding Valuan warships, you pick up a few things.” Aika smirked.

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much.” Enrique reassured her. “Apparently, Admiral de Loco is in the habit of outsourcing Valuan materials to the black market to fund his ‘research.’ It is a problem that Uncle Gregorio would routinely complain about.” Complaining for Gregorio meant that others would be frothing at the mouth about it, Enrique knew. Still, for once, de Loco’s urge to gain illicit additional funding would work in their favor. “If you have ‘connections’ on Sailor’s Isle, you should be able to procure whatever you require.”

“For once, the greed and selfishness of the Admiralty works for us.” Aika smirked. “Thanks, Enrique.” She finished off her meal and picked up Fina’s. “Seriously, though. Airsickness medicine. We should probably get a supply anyways, in case we pick up some crewmembers who aren’t used to rough sailing.”

“Are you expecting to find a lot of willing crewmembers who are not experienced sailors?” Enrique asked.

“Stranger things have happened.” Aika shrugged, walking past him with a wide grin. “There’s a rumor that a royal prince even joined up. But that’s just plain ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“Clearly.” Enrique answered, amused. “After all, I’m just Enrique.”

Aika paused. “Marco knows, but...how do you want us to handle it?”

“Handle what?”

“You being a prince.”

Enrique considered it for a few seconds. “It will get out, eventually. But, for now at least, I should like to just be myself.”

“You’ve always been yourself.” Aika reminded him firmly. “That crown didn’t get in the way of you doing what was right. Don’t let it get in the way of you becoming someone better.”

“I won’t.” He promised her, and meant it.

 

***

 

_ Sailor’s Isle _

_ Evening _

  
  


Sailor’s Isle was the kind of harbor town that never slept; when the sun went down, the lighthouse off on one side of the sprawling connected islands shone brighter, and lights blazed from the buildings. When the  _ Delphinus _ rolled in to do business, there was (naturally) some concerned fear from the residents who thought that Valua was rolling on them like it had done to Nasrad. That lasted up until Vyse, Aika, and Enrique flew down to the island on one of the ship’s longboats with a Blue Rogue standard waving off of a flagpole hastily mounted to the engine’s housing. After that, Aika dove right into the business of securing supplies from the ship parts merchant while Vyse took Enrique to the row of shops that dealt with sundries, foodstuffs, and items.

The Blue Rogue’s reputation preceded him; The shopkeepers all glowed when Vyse introduced himself, called him ‘Vyse The Daring’, and cut him deals when he started haggling. The Nasrian merchants, especially, were quite willing to sell almost at cost as soon as they learned that Vyse fully intended on taking the fight to the Valuans. They even bumped into another boy, even younger than Marco who was situated in the corner of one shop named Pinta. It took the boy all of a minute’s worth of pleading to get Vyse to agree to take him on as a crewmate, which had Pinta bouncing off of the roof for joy. Vyse had shrugged at Enrique’s askance, said that 10 was a perfectly good age to start as a deckhand and runner, and that Pinta  _ had _ asked Vyse about going out with him the last time they were in port. 

They set up orders for two month’s worth of foodstores and set up delivery for first thing in the morning; the harbor was locked down, and no ships were allowed to leave until morning by order of the harbormaster. It was standing protocol in the wake of a stormy night, but as they left the last shop and sighed, Enrique tucked up the collar thick and ill-fitting leather longcoat he’d borrowed to stave off the rain around his neck a little higher and looked over to Vyse, without a hat and looking smug in a thin poncho that kept his weapons and his movements freer. “There is a bonus to not being able to leave port until tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Admiral Belleza’s spies will be unable to route a message back to the Valuan pickets about our presence until we are loaded up and ready to depart.” If he hadn’t been watching Vyse, if he hadn’t spent days in the other man’s presence (And Vyse was a man, young, yes, but seasoned and confident and a  _ Captain _ and Enrique would never do him the disservice of calling him a boy), he might have missed the slight twitch of Vyse’s eye not underneath his goggle. He might not have seen how Vyse’s mouth clenched up. “I don’t believe I know the specifics of how you and Admiral Belleza fought.” Enrique said carefully. “Was there more to it than her locating the Red Moon Crystal and summoning the Gigas to attack you?”

“Oh, loads more.” Vyse said, with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “Just her being her usual spy self. Put on a false face and outfit, got cozy with us, ‘helped us’ get to the Temple of Pyrynn so we could do the scut work of getting through all the traps for her.”

“I’m sorry.” Enrique said softly. 

“You didn’t do it.” Vyse shrugged. “I would have preferred if she’d just tried to kill us from the start without the lies, though. Especially…” He paused, and chuckled. “Would you believe she made a pass at me?”

Enrique frowned. “Are you being serious?”

“Serious as a cannonball pointed at my head.”

“Hm.” Enrique shook his head as they kept on trudging ahead. “I take it she didn’t succeed.”

“No.” Vyse answered, and his smile was much more genuine this time. “No, she didn’t. She’s pretty, and she was especially pretty disguised as a Nasrian exotic dancer, but...No. My eyes weren’t set on her.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.” Enrique said, glancing up briefly as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. “In truth, I think her heart is set on Lord Galcian.”

“Are  _ you _ being serious?”

“As the grave, Vyse.” Enrique replied back. “For a woman of so many secrets, that one she has forever failed to hide from the others in the Admiralty.” 

Vyse chuckled at that. “Wouldn’t have been my first guess, but the heart wants what it wants. Come on, then. We’ve got a stop to make at the Guild before we meet up with Aika at the tavern.”

The guildmaster at Sailor’s Isle was as happy to greet Vyse as the merchants had been, although it was twinged with an element of nervousness. Enrique would have chalked it up to just being in the presence of an air pirate (Blue Rogue label notwithstanding), but after he let Vyse know about the latest bounties posted, his eyes darted left and right before the mustachioed man sighed. “Oh. And I got another notice to pass on to you.” He slid a piece of paper across the counter, which bore no letters, and only a single black circle on it.

Vyse made a face and swore. “Again?”

“My apologies, sir.” The guildmaster said reluctantly. “It’s not good news, I know.”

“Expected, though.” Vyse muttered, pocketing the small bit of paper. He caught Enrique looking at him, and shrugged. “The Angel of Death. She’s a bounty hunter who only goes after air pirates of notoriety, and ironically, is ranked on the board herself. We beat her once before, but I’m not in the habit of executing defeated opponents...Even if she did almost succeed in killing Aika.” A hard look passed over his face for a moment before he washed it away with a laugh. “And here I was thinking that maybe she’d have wised up and moved on to chase some other pirate. Guess I’m just lucky.”

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” The guildmaster asked, seeming to want to make up for being the messenger. 

“Yeah, actually. Do you know of any sailors here on the Isle who are looking for work? Helmsmen, engineers, gunner’s mates, physicians, that sort of thing?”

“Well, actually, there hasn’t been many people applying for spots on sailing vessels.” The guildmaster said. “This whole business with the burning of Nasrad has everyone looking for a rock to hide under. But I do know of one person that might fit the bill. He’s a helmsman of some talent, and a passable swordsman. Unfortunately, he’s as mercenary as they come, and he’s listed on the Valuan anti-piracy boards. ‘Lone Wolf’ Lawrence.”

“I’ve seen the name before, but I’ve never met the man.” Vyse frowned. “Any idea where we might find him?”

“He likes to linger around the guild. Look for a surly fellow in a purple coat carrying a long cutlass.” The guildmaster waved as they turned about and departed

“He wears the colors of royalty?” Enrique asked, once they were outside. 

“You know, Enrique, some people actually like the color purple.” Vyse pointed out. “Don’t you?”

“I’ve always been more partial to blues and greens myself.” Enrique admitted. “Earth tones.” 

“Huh.” Vyse scratched at his chin as they circled the sailor’s guild. “Well, you won’t get any argument from me about liking the color blue.”

“I should expect not.” Enrique chuckled, and the two kept laughing softly before they turned another corner and…

_ Well. _ Ask for the man and there he is. A fellow in tan slacks and a purple overcoat stood under the eavestrough around the guild hall, hiding from the rain and staring out at the world like it had offended him with hard eyes under a mop of brown hair kept longer than Vyse’s, and far less spiky. He glanced over at the pair as they paused.

“You boys need something?” The man asked coolly.

“Are you Lawrence, the helmsman?”

“Depends.” The man said, not even shrugging.

Enrique half-expected Vyse to play along, but instead, the Blue Rogue captain just crossed his arms and stared back. “My name is Captain Vyse of the Blue Rogues. I’m looking for Lone Wolf Lawrence to offer him a spot on my crew as a helmsman and navigator.”

“Then I’m Lawrence.” The man said, pushing himself off of the wall and turning up his collar. “But my services don’t come cheap. 10,000 gold.”

Enrique’s eyes went wide, but Vyse managed to hold himself to just one raised eyebrow.

“You’re that good?” Vyse questioned him.

“If I’d been alive when Daccat was terrorizing the world, he would have gotten where he was going a lot faster. And he wouldn’t have gotten lost in the process.” Lawrence replied.

“Hm.” Vyse pulled his bag around and started digging in it. “You’re all talk so far. I’d have to see how you handle the wheel of the  _ Delphinus _ before I paid you  _ that _ much.” He found what he was looking for, and produced a single gold coin. Vyse grinned and held it up so that the face caught the glow of one of the lamps shining in the storm. “And as for Daccat, I think I know a thing or two about the pirate myself. I found his treasure, after all.”

Lawrence took the coin from him and examined it with narrowed eyes, then handed it back. “And this was all that you have left?”

“That was all there was.” Vyse grinned at him, stowing the coin back away. “Daccat’s biggest lesson was that the best treasure isn’t in coin. It’s found in friends, family, and freedom. And I happen to offer all three.”

Lawrence snorted. “Sentimental drivel.”

Vyse straightened up a bit, and Enrique could feel the tension settle in between them. “Tell you what. I can pay you 5,000 now, but the other half, let’s put a wager on. You come with me and I’ll show you that there are better helmsmen in the world than you, and that they do it  _ with _ that sentimental drivel. You admit that you’re not the best there is, I keep the other 5,000 and you stay on as my helmsman, drawing regular ship’s wages after that. You prove to me that you’re better, I give you the other 5,000.”

Lawrence sized Vyse up. “You’re, what, ten years younger than me?”

“I’ve crossed the Southern Ocean, didn’t you hear?” Vyse countered. “And I guarantee you we’ll be crossing it again.”

Lawrence and Vyse stared down each other for another ten seconds, then Lawrence extended his hand. “We have a contract then.” 

“Good.” Vyse shook it and smiled. “Welcome to the Blue Rogues. There’s an Oath that you’ll have to take when we get situated, but mainly it’s just a code of conduct to separate us from the Black Pirates. And we  _ may _ be getting into firefights with the Valuans. Just in case that’s a dealbreaker.”

“I have agreed to a contract.” Lawrence said. “It’s what I’m paid for.” He held out a hand, and Vyse looked over to Enrique expectantly. The exiled prince sighed and reached for the large coinpurse that he’d brought along for ‘incidental expenses’ and after some mental number crunching, removed enough from the bag to leave 5,000 gold inside of it. 

“There are some days I wonder, Vyse, if you only keep me around for my money.”

“It’s not your money, it’s mine.” Vyse argued with a wink. “I stole it all, remember?”

“Keenly.” Enrique huffed, but he still smiled as Lawrence took the bag, examined it for a short while, then stowed it away with a nod.

“I am your man, captain. I take it your ship is that steel monstrosity that darkened the skies?” Lawrence asked. 

“I doubt that we’re personally responsible for the thunderstorm keeping the port locked down, but yes. The  _ Delphinus _ will be your berth for the foreseeable future.” And then Vyse made a face. “I’m going to need to choose a flag soon.”

“That’s right, you have those three designs to choose from.” Enrique commented, thinking back on the mockups that Vyse, Aika, and Fina had made. Enrique personally favored the ‘dolphin’ one Fina had made on a swath of blue fabric, even if it didn’t inspire fear. He was tired of being associated with entities that inspired fear. Vyse seemed more willing to inspire  _ courage _ and that, at least, was a start.

“I may end up making a new one using elements of all three.” Vyse muttered, and led their strange trio across the main street to the busiest tavern on the island. “Come on. Time to meet up with Aika. I’m buying dinner.”

“With  _ my _ money.” Enrique added cheerfully.

“Hush, you.”

 

They were 15 feet from the doors when they were slammed open, and a flailing sailor, bleeding from his broken nose and heavily bruised along the side of his face, was thrown out by Aika and the tavern’s owner, a pleasant curvy red-haired woman named Polly. The three parted as he flew towards them, and looked down at the heap of bruised and bleeding flesh before glancing up at the two women in the doorway.

“And don’t you come back!” Polly shouted as the groaning fellow struggled to pick himself up again.

Vyse raised an eyebrow as Aika brushed her hands off. “Was he getting handsy?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Aika snarled, gesturing to her favorite yellow blouse and skirt. “Because he thought  _ this _ was me leaving an open  _ invitation _ to being pawed at. It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I dress for mobility and comfort because I work around ship’s engines all day,  _ nooooo.”  _ Vyse laughed, and Aika rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. “Well, took care of him. And Polly here even helped.”

“Of course, lass, I remembered you.” She glanced over to Vyse. “And you as well, boy. Last time I saw the pair of you, you were talking Drachma into giving you two a ride to Valua.” She glanced around. “Is he still with you?”

Both Vyse and Aika’s smiles died. “We...we lost him.” Vyse explained haltingly. “Rhaknam.”

“Oh.” Polly blinked, then shook her head. “The poor devil finally got the end he wanted.” She smoothed out her skirt and then motioned to Vyse and Enrique and Lawrence. “Well, come on inside, boys. You can tell old Polly all about what you’ve been up to, Aika ordered a big meal for everyone. I don’t think a fourth will add more of a dent to what I’ve cooked up for you.”

 

Even as hungry as Enrique was for quality food and for as much as Vyse and Aika could pack away (Which did explain something about their boundless energy, Enrique realized), Polly’s estimate had been correct. Having Lawrence around kept Enrique from feeling obligated to reach for a third thick slice of garlic bread when two sufficed. He would need to get serious about keeping up on his swordsmanship regardless if he wished to maintain his trim waistline. 

Polly lingered at the table while her daughter Anne manned the counter, pouring liquor of every variety to the customers while her mother and Aika both kept a gimlet eye out for other troublemakers. 

“So.” She said, summarizing after Vyse and Aika hit a stopping point. “A quest to save the world.”

“No pressure or anything.” Vyse agreed with a smile. “Sailor’s Isle was a natural first stop for supplies. And picking up crewmembers. So far we’ve got a kid named Pinta who’s something of a treasure hunter, and this fella here.”

“Lawrence.” Polly said, staring at the sour-faced man in the purple longcoat. “He’s a straight mercenary, you know.”

“I have been paid to serve aboard the  _ Delphinus _ .” Lawrence intoned, with only the barest twitch of an eyebrow to indicate his distemper. “I am told that Captain Vyse has something to show me.”

“The world. And how I’m a better helmsman than you are.” Vyse said. 

Polly blinked, then leaned back in her chair. “Anyone else coming along with you?”

“Not at the moment, no. But we’ve got a few more stops to make before we head for the Dark Rift.” Vyse said, glancing around the tavern and lowering his voice so only they could hear him. “We’ll need a full crew if we’re going to stand a chance.”

“The Dark Rift?” Polly’s eyes widened. “That’s...I lost my husband there. He was a sailor, signed on for the expedition to try and pierce the Rift. He never came home.”

“I’m sorry, madam.” Enrique said. “What was his name?”

“His name is Robinson.” Polly said with a frown. “And he isn’t dead.”

“The Expedition to the Dark Rift predates the Valua-Nasr war. He’s been gone 20 years.” Enrique pressed the woman. “You think he is still alive?”

“My Robinson’s a survivor.” Polly declared authoritatively. “And I would know if he’s dead. I would feel it.” She stared at Enrique for a few more seconds until the prince nodded in surrender, and then the woman turned to Vyse. “Do you have a cook lined up, by any chance? A ship that size, with as large of a crew as you’re going to need, you’ll need somebody used to feeding a lot of people.”

Vyse blinked. “Are you volunteering? Can you even volunteer? You still have your tavern here to take care of, and your daughter…”

“My daughter is older than you are, Vyse, and her father never knew she was born.” Polly cut him off tersely. “She can handle herself, she knows this place in and out, and I taught her how to deal with menfolk that get grabby. If you’re really planning on sailing the world, if there’s even a  _ chance _ that we could find my husband, I have to take it. So yes, I’m volunteering.” She jerked her head up and shouted back. “Anna! I’m going on a voyage with Captain Vyse here to find your father! Mind the tavern while I’m gone!”

Anna, busy wiping out a glass, looked over and smiled with a strong nod. “Right. Vyse, you’d better take good care of my mom, or I’ll never forgive you!”

Vyse looked poleaxed, and Aika laughed loudly. “Damn, Vyse. I guess you’ve got no choice now.”

“I suppose not.” The Blue Rogue captain rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and recovered himself. “It would be nice to know that there’s someone watching out for the female crewmembers. My Aika can take care of herself, but others might not be able to. Not at first.”

“Wait up.  _ Your _ Aika?” Aika deadpanned, fixing a stare at Vyse. The brown-haired man cocked his head to the side.

“Sorry, should I not say that?”

Aika kept the stare up for another two seconds before smiling easily and wrapping her arms around his, leaning in close. “No, you can say it.” He turned his head, and she kissed him full on the mouth, just a gentle affectionate peck that made her intentions, and his, clear. “You’re not lying, after all.” And Vyse grinned like the storm rumbling outside didn’t matter, which, Enrique supposed, it didn’t. Not to them.

Enrique looked between the two and realized that he might have missed something about the relationship between Vyse and his first mate, then tamped it down with the firm notion that it was none of his business.

Lawrence, naturally, wasn’t fazed at all. “Well.” The man said, raising his glass up again. “I can see that working for you won’t be boring.”

 

***

 

_ Delphinus Foredeck, Moored at Sailor’s Isle _

_ 118 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Mid-Morning _

  
  


Vyse had declared that they would most likely encounter trouble before they hoisted anchor and left Sailor’s Isle behind, and Enrique had presumed that he meant it would be from Valuan sources, a fear that had been soundly laid to rest by the storm that grounded all departures until the next day. 

He was beginning to realize that there was something akin to prophecy in the Blue Rogue’s declarations, because right after the last of the supplies were loaded and the crew had been taken aboard and assigned berths, a visitor had come up and parked himself onto the Delphinus, standing astride a terrifying war machine that was vaguely reminiscent of the heavy ground offensive units that De Loco had been experimenting with in the Grand Fortress workshops.

He was one of the new bounties on the board at the Sailor’s Guild; ‘Loose Cannon’ Lapen, a blond-haired hothead with a talent for mechanical engineering and a chip on his shoulder as wide as the Valuan Dartissey Mountain Range. He’d arrived at Sailor’s Isle early in the morning after the storm cleared out, and quickly caught on to the gossip about the famous Blue Rogue Vyse being on ‘that massive warship parked on the far side of the island.’ From there, it was a simple matter for Lapen to postpone his original plans and head straight for the  _ Delphinus. _

Which brought them here, with Vyse, Aika, and Fina standing by Enrique as Lapen stared them all down from the top of his machine ‘Gunarm’ (Not a very original name, but an accurate one, Enrique had to admit) and sneered.

“I take you down, Vyse, and my reputation as a dangerous fella is sealed. I’m not one for fighting, but my machine Gunarm here is. Teaching me to build stuff is about the only thing my good for nothin’ Pops ever did for me!”

“Considering your reputation of terrorizing towns, I’m almost glad you left Sailor’s Isle alone and came right for me.” Vyse declared, his voice deadly dry. “But who was your father?”

“Hell if I know.” Lapen snorted. “Pops just found me, dragged me off, and raised me with a bunch of other kids. Stupid thing for a pirate to do, really. He didn’t teach us how to fight.”

Whatever he said must have meant something to the other three, because Enrique watched Vyse, Aika and Fina all glance at one another meaningfully before Aika spoke up.

“Was your ‘Pops’  _ Centime?” _

“You know the old bastard?”

Aika bared her teeth. “I know him well enough that he doesn’t deserve to be called that. Centime’s a  _ great _ father, he and his wife are wonderful parents to children that wouldn’t have a chance at happiness and a decent life otherwise! A punk like you doesn’t deserve to put him down!”

Which was clearly the wrong thing to say to Lapen, because he immediately bottled up, got red in the face, and launched a quad of hovering drones that spaced out around them all, pinning them in with exposed gunports. 

“I’ll have to settle for putting  _ you _ down, then.” Lapen hissed, and the battle was joined.

 

It wasn’t a  _ clean _ battle, by any means. It was nothing that Enrique had ever been prepared for. He knew the way of the blade as a duelist, a swordsman skilled in the rapier, the foil, epee, and the occasional dagger. He was used to fighting against a single opponent, or when pressed as Admiral Gregorio had insisted upon, defending himself against multiple opponents while he circled and sought higher ground and a more advantageous position to neutralize their numbers for a riposte and counterattack.

Lapen himself didn’t fight; he didn’t have to. His terror machine Gunarm was more than enough of a beast to keep all four of them on their toes, especially with the conical drones that kept firing high-powered musket rounds at them. Gunarm kept trying to either run them over, and when it wasn’t doing that, it was unloading wild barrages of explosive mortarfire at them or, at its worst, charging up what Fina screamed was a miniaturized  _ Moonstone Cannon _ and trying to incinerate them.

Needless to say, this was a fight that went far beyond the realm of Enrique’s experience in combat. Aside from momentary surprises, though, the other three handled it much better than he did. They weren’t panicking. They were just pissed off.

They ducked behind one of the rotating turret mounts as the next wave of  mortars detonated, hurling debris and deck plating in all directions and making Enrique hiss as a bit of it caught the edge of his exposed arm and tore through fabric and skin.

“I’ve got it.” Fina hummed, quickly bringing a hand full of green warm fire up to the injury, making the cut fade away to nothing in seconds.

“So.” Vyse said laconically. “I’m open to suggestions.”

“His weapons are far too powerful.” Fina shivered. “And that cannon of his is misaligned. I can hear it  _ singing _ when it fires, and it’s off-pitch. Even a near miss could be fatal, he has to be using a cracked silver moonstone as the focusing lens. I’m amazed it hasn’t blown itself apart yet!”

“I didn’t think weapons could sing.” Enrique volunteered, finding that he had nothing helpful to contribute while his ears were ringing.

“Apparently, neither does Admiral de Loco.” Fina pointed out snippily. “The Moonstone Cannon installed on the  _ Delphinus _ is simply  _ atrocious _ . I’ve been doing my best to tune it properly, but we have been busy with other matters.”

Aika laughed in spite of the danger. “Fina gets touchy about next-generation weapons, Enrique. I’d get used to just nodding and accepting it.”

_ “Hey, Vyse!”  _ Lapen shouted from far back on the other side of the turret.  _ “Don’t tell me I’ve got you running scared already? I haven’t put nearly enough holes in your ship yet!” _

Vyse made a face. “That miserable jackass shouldn’t be putting  _ any _ holes in my ship.” Enrique smiled at that remark, but confined his chuckle. “Aika. You spot any weak points on that miserable rusted heap of a murdertank?”

The fiery redhead considered the question. “If that miniaturized moonstone cannon is as unstable as Fina thinks it is, we might be able to...I dunno, push it over the edge?”

“Crack the moonstone lens and the weapon won’t be able to focus its power.” Fina agreed. “And the way it’s singing, it wouldn’t take much. Shoving a sword through it would work, but you wouldn’t want to be standing next to it afterwards.”

“That kind of a hit is going to take a crapload of precision.” Vyse pointed out warily. “I’m not sure if I could manage it, not without getting in range of that grabber arm. Or getting run over.”

Enrique blinked. Precision. He could do precision.

“Leave it to me, then.” Enrique declared, loosening the dueling dagger he kept strapped to his swordbelt. “He is more interested in you anyways, Vyse. Keep him distracted, and I shall strike the felling blow.”

“Oh, I think we can manage a distraction.” Aika chuckled, and manifested a blazing red aura around herself. “All those holes he’s been making, I’m going to end up patching up again. I need a little irritation to work my spiritual powers. I’m very  _ irritated _ right now.”

“Just don’t lose your head, Aika.” Fina sighed, and tapped each of them on the shoulder with a hand that glowed in silver light. Enrique felt a steady pulse of healing flow into him, easing away his fatigue and undoing the scrapes and minor blows he’d taken over the course of the engagement. It was a surprising but welcomed effect, and Vyse and Aika accepted it without concern.

Did  _ nothing _ faze these three?

Vyse readied his blades and shouted up and over the weapons turret. “Hey, Lapen! You mind terribly  _ not _ blowing holes in my ship?! I kind of need to be able to fly out of here after I get done kicking your ass!”

_ “Big words, Mister Blue Rogue!”  _ Lapen hollered back.  _ “Are you coming out of there or am I coming in after you?” _

Vyse’s aura shimmered with blue light, and it channeled down into his blades. Enrique shivered for a bit as he was struck by the impossible vision of something spreading out among their circle of four; some kind of protective aura, transparent to the point of vanishing entirely, and which took on the horrifying form of  _ skeletal ghosts shrouded in tattered blue fabric. _

“We are Blue Rogues.” Vyse breathed out slowly. “And the pirates of old defend our cause.” Enrique shivered, almost feeling skeletal hands settle on his shoulders...but it wasn’t cold. It was warm. Shielding. Vyse grinned and shouted out again. “We’re coming out, Lapen! Time to finish this!”

Moving as one, they all rushed out from behind their cover and dashed for Gunarm. The conical drones all opened fire, but the barrier Vyse had erected flashed in front of them in bursts of light, a skeletal wraith deflecting the shots with a flicker of spiritual steel before flying across and slicing into the offenders with terrible purpose. 

Aika’s followup was to bound ahead into their midst and unleash her power with a fierce warcry that made the air around her  _ explode. _ Before, the drones had shrugged off the blaze by dint of their outer skin. But that was damaged now; the fire burned away at their vulnerable interiors and incinerated them from the inside out. Deprived of his drones, there was nothing standing between them and Lapen. 

Conversely, there was nothing standing between Gunarm and them, Enrique realized, right as the tank charged at them at full speed. Except for Fina, who shouted out something in a language Enrique had never heard before, and the floating pet that was always with her raced ahead, morphing midflight, until it took on the appearance of a... _ ramp? _

There was no stopping Gunarm, no adjusting its trajectory. Cupil slammed down to the foredeck in his new ramped configuration, and Lapen could do nothing but scream as Gunarm hit the sloped surface, jerked up the incline at an odd tilt, and went  _ flying _ . As it flew overhead on a course to land on its side, Vyse flashed up into the air, blue fire burning around both him and his swords, and with a bellowing yell, he fired off two cutting arc of spiritual fire from the blades that intersected and impacted right at the shoulder joint of Gunarm’s massive hamfist. It cut through the metal cleanly, and the loss of the arm’s weight sent Gunarm flying on a wider tilt, crashing onto the deck on its wounded side, unable to even pick itself back up again.

It could still spin itself around and take aim, though, and the barrel of that menacing moonstone gun soon pointed at Vyse.

“Enrique!” Fina screamed.  **_“NOW!”_ ** The power of command in that voice surpassed the fear the Silvite had, and Enrique found himself throwing his dagger without a thought.

It was probably better aimed that way. He didn’t have time to doubt himself.

The dagger flew true and level, and struck the barrel of the arm cannon. Enrique could  _ hear it _ sliding out of view as it passed into the weapon and striking with the grating noise of steel against hastily processed moonstone crystal. He watched as the terrifying corona of light around the weapon’s end suddenly blinked out…

And then Lapen was jumping off of Gunarm and running for cover. Almost too late. As it stood, the explosion caused by the weapon’s instability becoming  _ worse _ picked up the air pirate in purple and sent him tumbling ass over teakettle across the deck while his marvelous war machine detonated and rained razor hot debris in every direction. It would have harmed them all if the strange aura Vyse had ensconced them with hadn’t flared up, giving the last full measure of its strength to deflect and shield them. 

 

There was silence for a few pregnant moments, and then Vyse just let out a cackle and tipped one cutlass back over his shoulder. “Nice shot, Enrique.” 

Enrique remembered to breathe then. “Are all of your fights as... _ slapdashed _ as that one?”

“Usually.” Aika chimed in with cheerful enthusiasm. “But you did good. I think you’ll fit right in!” 

“My joy overflows.” Enrique said dryly, and then turned to stare at where Lapen was picking himself up again. “Now, about our wayward aggressor…”

 

Lapen didn’t put up much of a fight once he realized his Gunarm was in bits and pieces and he was surrounded by four very capable fighters. He just sat up, sighed, and stared at Vyse with a growl. “Guess you win.”

“Well, I didn’t lose.” Vyse shrugged, keeping a sword pointed down at him. “Why the hell do you have such a problem with Centime? I’ve  _ met _ the man. He’s warm and caring and no child ever goes hungry or cold once he adopts them.”

“Because he could do so much more!” Lapen snapped. “Maybe he was fine with just sailing around picking up orphans and living the simple life, but I wanted to  _ make something _ of myself! And he never encouraged me!”

“He taught you how to build things.” Aika pointed out. “I’d call that encouragement.”

“You don’t get it.” Lapen muttered, sounding more like a petulant child throwing a tantrum than a pirate who terrorized port towns in that moment.

Vyse just snorted. “I don’t get it, huh? I left home to find my adventures, too. I can understand well enough. But you don’t forget your roots. And you honor the people who raised you. Real parents or adopted parents. And Centime and his wife Carol are to be honored.”

“If they cared about me, they wouldn’t have pulled up and left. They would have told me where I could find them.”

Enrique watched as Vyse and the girls glanced at one another, and then Vyse frowned as he looked back to Lapen. “I don’t think they had a choice. They got caught in a storm in the Southern Ocean, and were hurled all the way to Ixa’taka. The  _ Ironsides _ is more or less permanently parked at Horteka while he and Hans try to get it off the ground again. He was a prisoner of the Valuans there until we freed him in a mass jailbreak.”

Lapen stared at him. “Pops is...in Ixa’taka.” He shook his head. “And they’re all okay?”

“A little shaken up, a little weathered, but they’re with good people.”

“I...good.” Lapen rubbed the back of his head and looked away. “That’s good.”

“You know, Mr. Lapen, I don’t think Centime would be all that happy to hear about what you’ve been up to.” Fina admonished him with a kindly voice. “He wouldn’t like to hear that his son has been attacking settlements. He’s a Blue Rogue, just like Vyse and Aika are.”

Enrique blinked and looked over to the Silvite. That was true, a spot of memory tickled. When Dyne had sworn Enrique in as a Blue Rogue, Fina had vouched for him, but she had not called herself a Blue Rogue. 

“You really ought to knock that shit off.” Vyse said flatly. “Doing what you’re doing to prove that you’re somebody? You’ll only be known as a criminal. Not a legend.” He sighed. “Now get the hell off my ship.” He turned around, sheathed his blades, and started to walk off. Enrique held his position while Lapen sat on the deck plating, watching him go.

“Will you see Pops again soon?” Lapen blurted out. Vyse paused, but didn’t look back.

“Yeah. We will, actually. Do you have a message you want me to pass on to him?”

“No.” Lapen said. “I want you to take me with you.”

 

Enrique raised his eyebrows. Aika looked ready to yell at him again. Fina’s face was an inscrutable mask. Vyse turned and stared at him.

“Why should I take you on board my ship when you just tried to kill me and my crew to bolster your  _ reputation?” _

“I’m a damn good engineer.” Lapen insisted. “How many of those do you have working for you already?”

“I have Aika.”

“She’s one person. You can’t run a ship this size, much less  _ maintain one _ , with just one engineer.”

“You have literally put over  _ two dozen holes in my ship.” _ Vyse pointed to one particularly impressive hole where the Gunarm had exploded. “We haven’t had the  _ time _ to reinforce it yet, and this will add additional time in drydock which we can’t  _ afford to waste.” _

“I put those holes there, I can fix them.” Lapen stood up, staring back at Vyse. “Give me a Valuan arc welder, whatever you’ve got on board for hull repairs, and give me a couple of days. I can do the repairs on the fly. I’ve been furious at my Pops for two years now because I thought he left me. Now you tell me he’s lost in a primitive land and basically marooned, and in trouble of being taken by the Valuans again. I need to make this right, Vyse.”

“...Lapen, you’ve got issues.” Vyse sighed. “And if I do this? If you come with? What’s my guarantee that you won’t turn on us?”

Lapen thought about it. “I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his head. “My word isn’t any good to you, and that’s all I have. My word.”

“I don’t trust the promises of Black Pirates.” Vyse nodded, and crossed his arms. Lapen looked down at the decking. “But I trust the promise of a Blue Rogue.” And Lapen’s head snapped up. “If you want to fly on this ship, you will have to do it as a Blue Rogue. You will have to speak the words of that commitment. Can you manage that? Can you be like your father, who you hate?”

“I hated him for a reason that was wrong.” Lapen shrugged. “Wrong to hold on to hate that isn’t deserved. Yes, Vyse. I surrender. Let me come with you so I can get back to Pops. I’ll take the Oath.”

 

The ceremony was brief, curt, and brutally in earnest. Afterwards, Aika dragged Lapen off to go get the supplies he’d need to repair the damage he caused, and Enrique, Fina, and Vyse made for the bridge.

“Is this commonplace?” Enrique asked, as they walked into the ship’s corridors and made for the stairs going up.

“Is what commonplace?” Vyse shot back.

“Do all your enemies end up joining you?” 

Vyse chuckled at that, and looked over to Fina, who giggled and masked her smile with a delicate hand. “Just the smart ones, Enrique.”

 

***

 

The medication for airsickness that they had procured on Sailor’s Isle helped, but did not entirely remove the problem of Enrique’s ongoing struggle against nausea and disorientation. It remained problematic enough that Vyse had brought Enrique with him when he had gone to treat with a vessel bearing a red and white sail, which belonged to a man called ‘Doc.’ 

While Vyse had fed a particularly impressive bird the transparent and nearly invisible moonfish from his bag, Doc had given Enrique the once-over, chuckled about ‘working with royalty’, changed the prescription up a little, and then shown him a series of orientation exercises meant to ‘stabilize the inner ear and restore your sense of balance.’ All in all, it had been a pleasant enough encounter, with Vyse taking a few new items back aboard the  _ Delphinus _ with them.

 

Those exercises had proven to be incredibly helpful after  _ another _ ship, this one bearing a pale silver blue sail, caught them right before they reached the South Danel Strait. Vyse didn’t even seem worried about it, he was just resigned as he sighed, gestured to Aika and Fina, and then clapped a hand on Enrique’s shoulder. “You’d better come with us, we might need the backup.”

It had anchored to the ship’s rail outside on the foredeck, and when the four of them emerged, a young woman around Vyse’s age with white hair teased blue and a particularly vicious looking scythe stood there waiting for them.

“I got your note.” Vyse said blandly, producing the same paper square with the black dot that the guildmaster had given to him the day before. “You still want to kill me?”

“I am the Angel of Death.” The woman intoned. “Air Pirates are my prey, and this will be your grave.”

“You call us out and then you start spouting this nonsense?” Aika demanded with a hiss, and she rubbed at her throat as she did so. “You’ve got problems, lady. So we beat you once. Just give it a rest already. What’s your beef?”

“You speak as though my search for you is a recent development.” Her eyes narrowed. “These past 7 years I’ve been scouring for any trace of you...Vyse. I have no more words for you! En garde, Vyse!”

_ En garde? _ Enrique puzzled over the oddity of that phrase, the presence of a formal Valuan dueling term. His curiosity fizzled fast once the fight began.

The Angel of Death was a terrifying opponent; skilled in both magic and close quarters combat. Enrique found himself rushing to aid Vyse in deflecting her wild flurries of blows, while Aika cast one protective ward after another, ensconcing the team in bubbles of spiritual energy that disrupted spellcasting. Thankfully, Fina’s own healing and restorative powers somehow cleared that barrier. 

“No dog this time?” Vyse panted, keeping pace with his assassin thanks to Enrique joining him in the vanguard. “Last time you had that pet keeping tabs on you and trying to ruin our day!”

“I don’t need a  _ pet _ to put you down!” The woman snarled, and struck out with a bladed shoe that gashed his coat open and exposed the chainmail underneath. Forced back by the weight of the kick, Enrique found himself standing alone in front of the girl, and his rapier clashed against her scythe. A twist of his arm locked it in place against his blade guard, and the two strained against each other as she tried to get him to release it. 

“What is your name?” Enrique got out through his grit teeth. 

“Piastol.” The woman snarled, jerking forcefully and almost tipping him over. Enrique pulled back and restored his balance, and her eyes narrowed. “I know you.”

“Must have that kind of a face.” Enrique joked.

“No.” Her eyes widened. “You are the  _ Prince _ of Valua. Prince Enrique!”

“Prince in exile.” He countered, and ducked under her scythe as she finally managed to get it free and tugged hard on it, threatening the back of his head. 

“You dare ally yourself with these pirates? These  _ murderers?!” _ The woman howled.

“I seek justice.” Enrique countered. “I find it more present with these Blue Rogues than among my own people.” She screamed at the inference and came at him with all of her fury, whirling with scythe and bladed shoes and quickly blowing past his guard. Enrique could see his death in her techniques, a mixture of Valuan classical duelist’s techniques and wilder, more dervish-like maneuvers more common among the Nasrian swordmasters.

He cried out as she scored her first slash upon him, and reacted instinctively, shunting his spiritual power outwards to cling around his body in a faint yellow and orange glow that absorbed close to half of her power. The deadly combination attack still left him bleeding heavily from a dozen cuts and gasping for air. Piastol raised her scythe for the finishing blow, but was stopped when Vyse roared back into the fight and intercepted her, keeping Piastol off-balance and on the defensive as his blades, burning with cold blue fire, chipped away at her stance.

Aika and Fina were at his side in moments, the two of them each shattering a crystal of green magic against his torso that suffused him with vitality and removed his injuries and pain.

“Sacres crystals.” Aika said with a smile in answer to his unspoken question. “Don’t fight crazy women without them.”

“Thank you.” Enrique exhaled and tightened his grip on his sword. “How did you defeat her last time?”

“She killed Aika, I revived Aika, and then Vyse made her pay for it.” Fina said tersely. “There is nothing in her heart but rage.”

“And two kingdom’s worth of combat training in her body.” Enrique said, feeling the ongoing restoration effect of Fina’s power wiping away the last vestiges of his pain. “Right. Ladies? I have a fight to finish. Vyse is outmatched.” His aura began to glow again, the off-orange dissipating as pure yellow fury, the beating heart of Valua’s patron moon, flowed through him in deadly earnest.

Vyse was flagging; his signature move was a flurry of blows he titled ‘Cutlass Fury’, but it was draining on his spiritual energy reserves. When he stopped swinging and lost the offensive, the Angel of Death would fall on him like...well. Like an angel of death.

Perhaps that would be his fate in a different scenario. But it would not be his fate today. 

“Vyse!” Enrique shouted, dashing the last thirty feet into the fray. “Switch!”

Vyse hadn’t trained with Enrique, but he had, as the prince had hoped, learned a thing or two about paired swordfighting from Captain Dyne. The man had been a capable Valuan officer before he walked away from the kingdom that decided to become an empire. Vyse knew how to switch out. He pulled back, and Enrique moved in, and the Angel of Death had no time at all to catch her breath.

Enrique’s blade flashed with speed, with purpose, with killing intent. Behind every slice and stab and lunge were the words of Admiral Gregorio, a man he lovingly called uncle even now.

_ “Your blade is not your life, my prince. It is the life of those you would protect. A blade can harm, and a blade more rarely, protects. When you draw your weapon, every time, you must visualize your intent. Do you draw your blade to take lives...or to save them?” _

Enrique’s first lessons had been with Gregorio. His most important lessons. The ones that followed, when Gregorio went back on active rotation and his mother had Galcian secure ‘more appropriate’ tutors had taught him how to harm, to maim, to deal lethal blows.

But they hadn’t been able to take away his most valuable lessons. Enrique only harmed to protect others. He was a defender, first and foremost.

He was Vyse’s defender now. 

 

She had been flagging as well, and while Enrique could not strike with his feet, he knew how to  _ move them _ . Grazing slices were laid onto her knuckles, along her forearms from near misses where his aura alone was enough to wound her. And then as those first glancing blows weakened her stance, additional stabs gouged painful but ultimately non-lethal nicks and cuts along her shoulders, her exposed torso, and even her legs.

“Enrique!  _ Switch!” _ Vyse shouted out, and Enrique leapt backwards in a defensive posture that proved wholly unnecessary. The woman had taken too many painful and debilitating hits to pursue him, and then Vyse was on her, swinging away with renewed vigor. She could do nothing but defend herself, and while his strikes were rough and done more out of impulse than instinct, they proved devastating enough. More bleeding cuts were carved into her, and the last blow tore the scythe out of her hands and sent it scattering along the (still damaged) foredeck until it fell into the hole that Gunarm’s destruction had created earlier in the day.

She fell to her knees, and Vyse pressed his main cutlass to just under her chin. “Yield.” He commanded grimly.

“I yield.” She croaked out, and Vyse nodded and pulled his weapons back. She stared at him with haunted grief. “Why? Why is it that I finally fight the man I’ve been searching for all these years, and yet...I cannot win?”

Vyse breathed out through his nose. “Seriously, Piastol. What’s this all about, anyways?”

_ Piastol? _ Enrique blinked, looking between Vyse and the defeated woman. The name tickled the back of his mind, but he couldn’t place why. Still, at least he had a name for this pirate assassin, and not just a title.

“Yeah.” Aika piped in. “And you’ve been chasing us for 7 years? That’s ridiculous. Seven years ago, we were ten years old going on eleven. What could we have done to you?”

She probably meant the question to disarm, but it had the opposite effect. Piastol hissed and her eyes burned with cold, silver fury. “Silence.” She got out. “You could never understand my pain.” And then she was lurching to her feet, and pointing a shaky hand at them. “Remember this, Vyse. Don’t think you can escape your fate! I’ll never forgive you!”

Vyse just stared at her. “This is twice now you’ve fought me. Two times we’ve defeated you.”

“Only because you refuse to fight me yourself, properly!”

“Blue Rogues are never alone.” Vyse countered, then blinked. “Oh. Wow. I’ve gotta remember that. But for now, get the hell off my ship.”

Piastol motioned her head towards the gaping hole in the deck. “My scythe?”

“Trophy.” Vyse denied her flatly. “Buy another one.”

“Pirate.” She snapped, and turned about to make for her ship.

“That’s  _ Blue Rogue _ , honey!” Aika called out after her. Piastol just screamed in reply, and in two minutes’ time, her ship was unmoored from the  _ Delphinus _ and steadily drifting away. They all watched it depart, and then Vyse clapped his hands together. 

“All right, there’s that done!” He said cheerfully. “So, waffles?”

“Waffles!” Aika gleefully called back. “I think Polly knows how to make them!” Vyse and his two most trusted shipmates started back for the foredeck hatch, and after sheathing his sword, Enrique followed with amused humor. 

“From killing intent to good humor in so short a time, Vyse? How do you manage it?”

“Life’s too short to spend angry.” The captain said to him laconically.

“And the waffles?”

“We did good. So, we get waffles.” Aika smirked, and threw an arm over both Vyse and Fina’s shoulders, who calmly leaned into her and then brought their own to encircle her back.

“Ah.” Enrique said, taking in the sight of such easy comradeship and feeling another tickling in his brain. The reason for it still escaped him.

 

***

 

_ The South Danel Strait _

_ 119 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Delphinus Galley _

_ Morning _

  
  


The galley and dining hall of what would have been his flagship in a different life was still sparsely decorated, but there was no mistaking the opulence and grandeur that the ship’s designers had been going for. Most of the ship was constructed with pure function in mind, Valuan utilitarianism at its finest. Only the captain’s quarters, the bridge, and the galley had any spark of character, and that spark bespoke royalty and presence and an expectation for grander things.

Case in point; the electric chandelier hanging from the ceiling on a heavily reinforced mount with double-strength chain cabling was anything but standard issue. It did provide a great deal of light and warmth to the space, with its wood paneling covering the interior metal walls. The dining tables had space for close to 150 men, and these were woefully empty. In a combat situation, the chandelier was meant to be retracted up to the ceiling and locked in place so as to not swing about and become a hazard. For now, it was turned off so the floor-to-ceiling open windows could let in the sparkling morning light.

Polly had proven herself to be a marvelous ship’s cook; the ‘waffles’ he had partaken of the night before had been delicious, a fluffy treat nowhere near as decadent as the cakes he knew from the palace...but somehow more meaningful. It had taken him until he went to bed to realize why the simple meal had been so delicious.

It was the company he had while he enjoyed it that made the difference. He had usually eaten alone back at the palace, or at a formal dinner where everyone was so busy jockeying for position and favor that the meal went unenjoyed. It was something else he would want to change.

If they lived through this. If he even had the opportunity to.

He sipped at his tea, a strong and bracing Nasrian blend that Polly had insisted on them buying from Sailor’s Isle before they departed. His modified airsickness medicine provided to him by ‘Doc’ had been effective, and his symptoms were reduced to only a slight dizziness at rest, without any nausea. He looked up in time to see Aika and Fina come over to his table, each carrying a tray and walking slowly as if still half asleep.

No, he realized as his mind restarted and he took in the sight of them again. Not half-asleep. Half-dead. They both looked miserable, walked as though every step made them want to wince in pain, and their faces were pale and ashen. 

“Good morning, ladies.” Enrique said, rising out of his seat as they came to the table, and remained standing until they had taken their seats. Some courtly manners he didn’t want to escape completely, and this was such a clear mark of respect that it came as second nature. “You do not look well.” He suggested politely.

Aika snorted while Fina reached for her teacup. “We feel like shit.” Aika muttered. Fina hummed in agreement and took a small sip, making a face. “What’s wrong, Princess? Tea too strong?”

“Not strong enough.” Fina complained. “We won’t reach Ixa’taka soon enough.”

Aika blinked. “Oh. Coffee, right?”

Fina looked over to the other woman and smiled weakly. “The drink of the gods, according to Isapa. And sometimes called that colloquially.” 

Enrique cocked his head to the side. “You know, there are times that I feel very much like an outsider among you three?” Aika and Fina turned to look at him, and he smiled in apology. “There is so much shared history between you three, so many events and stories and inside jokes that I am constantly missing out on.” They both smiled in the same way, trying to work through their pain, and he waved off any lingering concern. “It is nothing you can amend. It is my own problem, I do not need to know the depth of your trials to see the good people it has made of you.”

“You’re a good person too, Enrique.” Aika pointed out. “Don’t go forgetting that.”

“I never do.” Enrique said, and for a moment, it was almost like Uncle Gregorio’s hand was resting on his shoulder, squeezing it warmly in approval. “But truly, you two look to be in pain. Is there nothing I can do to help you? Nothing I can procure for your relief?”

“Ah...no.” Fina sighed, drinking more of her tea and leaving her toast to go cold. “It’s woman troubles, Enrique.”

“Ah.” The prince blinked at that, trying to suss out the hidden meaning. His schooling had been more on politics and rulership than human biology, but he wasn’t entirely blind. A woman’s monthly course was to be expected, and it apparently was worse for others. “My apologies, then. If I can lighten your duties as you...suffer through it...please, let me know.”

“Thank you, Enrique, but we’ll manage.” Aika said. “We can pull our own weight. There’s not enough of a crew yet for us to get any downtime.” Her eyes glinted. “Have you seen Lapen this morning yet?”

“He ate and he left, grumbling the entire time about how much work there was left to do in ship’s repairs.” 

“His own fault for making the holes.” Aika said. “I’ll show him the ropes about keeping the engines tuned up and running smoothly after he gets done with his community service.” Her smile went predatory. “And we collect the bounty for stopping him at the guild offices in Nasrad. I kept Gunarm’s head as proof.”

“We have Piastol’s scythe as well.” Enrique realized. “Is there a bounty for her?”

“For her, we’d need the body.” Aika shook her head. “And I’m fine with not collecting that one.”

Enrique blinked. “I...would have to agree with you there.” He wanted many things, but...the hurt on Piastol’s face? The pain? Her death was something he didn’t want on his hands.

 

Vyse came over and sat down, a box tucked under one arm. “You two okay?” He asked, immediately dialing in on the discomfort that Aika and Fina displayed.

“The... _ medicine _ we took for an anti-ovulant and preventative was stronger than I expected.” Fina hedged her response carefully, and her eyes flickered over to Enrique briefly. “It worked, but we might be better off finding less aggressive alternatives going forward.”

“Ah.” Enrique caught on to the conversation, snapping his fingers. “I do not know much about woman’s health issues, but I have heard that some remedies meant for reducing menstruation and limiting the chance of pregnancy do not always ‘mesh well’ with every patient. You must have gotten a batch of medicine to limit your, erm, courses on Sailor’s Isle that is having an adverse reaction. Well, it makes sense now.”

Fina chuckled while Aika’s face blushed bright red. “It does?”

“Of course.” Enrique said with a smile. “It’s a damned inconvenience what you have to go through every month, and I have studied that the pain can be quite crippling in the short term. Of course you want to be at your best physically, and reduce the symptoms. Quite proactive of you, really.”

“Yes!” Aika stammered, alternatively nodding and shaking her head in a rhythm that puzzled the prince. “Yes, that’s exactly it!”

Fina laughed under her breath, opened her mouth to say something as she looked at Vyse, then closed it and shrugged. Vyse just rolled his eyes and smirked. “Well. Thank you for the vote of support, Enrique. Unfortunately, the  _ medication _ we took seems to be worse than the cure in this case.”

“Then you must change the medication.” Enrique shrugged.

“Yeah, no. There hasn’t been a lot of  _ effort _ put forth into women’s health. The remedies on the market are just terrible.” Aika shivered. “Sailor’s Isle didn’t have a lot of choices. So unless you know some miracle doctor who’s been studying medicine intimately for decades…”

And there was another flash, a connection of problem and solution in the back of Enrique’s mind, and this time he was able to hold onto it.

“There is.” Enrique blurted out, and wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before. Of course. He would be a  _ perfect _ candidate. “His name is Illchymis. He was a member of the Valuan nobility who could have lived an easy life, but instead preferred to study medicine wherever and however he could. He is a master herbalist and chemist, and before he left Valua to live in seclusion, he was supposedly the best physician in the area of medicines on the continent. Unfortunately, Valua wanted to use him for wartime purposes, so...he left.”

Vyse leaned forward over the table. “Any chance you happen to know where he went? It sounds like he’d be a perfect addition to the crew.”

“Somewhere in the Frontier, north of the Valuan continent in the gray skies just short of the Freezing Sky Rift.” Enrique shrugged. “The Admiralty has sent scouts, but they’ve never found him. He’s very well hidden.”

“I think we can spare the time to search for him.” Vyse said, looking to the women. “Especially if it will help you two. You looked terrible when you got up this morning. I don’t want to see you looking that miserable ever again.”

The three looked at each other for close to ten seconds in silence, pale smiles poking out from behind waxy, pain-filled faces, and again Enrique wondered what he was missing. He knew that Vyse was romantically attached to Aika, he’d seen the ease at which she kissed him and how he glowed after, but…

“Oh.” Vyse started, and set the box down on the table. Enrique lost his train of thought and frowned briefly before refocusing on Vyse. “There was something I wanted to show you all. I finally decided on a flag design for the  _ Delphinus _ , and for us more specifically.”

“The Blue Rogues don’t have a standard flag?” Enrique asked. “I know you were struggling with a personalized one, but I thought you’d at least have one design that every Blue Rogue ship flew.”

“Amazingly, no.” Vyse cleared up the problem. “Blue Rogues are  _ very _ decentralized. My father had his own flag. Centime had a different one.”

“And Calamity Clara had one of her own, which had pink highlights in it.” Fina added helpfully. 

“It’s something I never gave much thought to until my father explained it to me.” Vyse said. “We’re so far spread out over Mid-World that it just didn’t make any sense to have a central authority. They all follow the same Code. Beyond that? Personal preference.” He cracked the box open. “Fina wanted us to use dolphins on the flag, even though Valua named the ship after a constellation, which is their tradition. Aika wanted a winking cat with a coin in its mouth, and me? Well, hard to go wrong with the skull and sword. But then I realized, I may be the captain, but this is  _ our _ ship.” He looked between them all. “So I designed a flag that was for all of us.”

He brought out a measure of folded up blue fabric, smaller than a full sized ship’s flag would be, then walked away from the table and took it to the wall, where he used daggers to tack up first one corner, and then the other. Then he walked to the other side of the flag, hoisted up the blue-painted canvas, and finished setting it up.

Fina gasped in wonder, Aika stared, and Enrique blinked in surprise.

 

On a sea of blue fabric lay the outline of a coin in white, and inside of the coin was a skull with two swords underneath it, two dolphins bordering it above, and the words  _ Blue Rogues Fly Free _ encircling the entire picture on the coin.

One of the swords, though, wasn’t a cutlass. It was a rapier.

 

Vyse walked back to the table, sat down, and stared at the flag. “We’re Blue Rogues, and we Fly Free.” He explained softly. “But we aren’t Black Pirates. The skull is my emblem. The coin is our purpose; the collapse of the empire and the start of open trade, open borders without tyranny. The dolphins are the warmth and compassion we carry for ourselves, for our friends, for the innocents we protect. And the swords are the strength we use to defend them.”

“One of those swords is mine.” Enrique said reverently.

“You’re a Blue Rogue now, Prince Enrique.” Vyse said, patting him on the arm. “And there’s more of a guardian to you than a killer. We need that.”

“You have it, Vyse.” Enrique promised, turning and looking to him with watery eyes. “You have my sword, and my strength.” He held out his hand to Vyse, and the captain beamed back at him and they clasped arms, gripping the other’s forearm in the old style. 

“Aww. Look, Fina. Bromance.” Aika snarked, and the two women fell into laughter that broke the solemnity of the moment.

“I taught you that word!” Fina giggled.

“It’s a good word.” Aika defended it. “So. I’m fine with the flag design. Fina?”

“I like it. It’s the best parts of all of us.” The Silvite agreed.

Vyse looked to Enrique expectantly, and Enrique got up and walked over to the flag, tracing his fingers over the surface of the fabric. He heard Vyse get up and follow him.

“I haven’t had a flag to be proud of in years, Vyse.” Enrique said. He looked back and saw Vyse raising an eyebrow, asking the question without speaking.  _ And now? _

Now, when he needed it most, he heard the voice of his ‘Uncle’ Admiral Gregorio. His teacher, his mentor, his conscience and father in all but blood.

‘ _ Valua is not what it once was….But you might bring it back.’  _

 

Enrique stepped back and nodded. “You’re going to change the world, Vyse.”

“So will you.”

“I will settle for returning Valua to a kingdom and making amends for our misdeeds.” Enrique clarified, and felt the rightness of the words as they settled into his heart. “But you? The world will fly under your flag.”

“A prophecy?” Vyse asked warily.

“A feeling.” Enrique said, and knew it to be truth. He could feel all the world holding its breath, waiting to see what would come next.

He couldn’t wait to see it for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enrique is an interesting character in the game, and makes for a marvelous fourth team member. His defensive abilities, when paired with Aika's, are basically an every-turn-necessity for most bosses and mini-bosses. But the game never spent a lot of time on explaining WHY he sticks around, not to any great depth or detail. Another thing I have to fix. If Enrique is a part of the crew, a Blue Rogue, then it will by golly MEAN SOMETHING. He has the formal training Vyse lacks, a training that Vyse will require if he's going to unlock his full potential and stand a chance against Galcian and Ramirez. What, you thought it was as easy as munching down some moonberries? Sorry, no. Experience shapes a person. It's shaping Enrique even now. There is more to him than just a fourth party member there to be a walking airsickness joke and to cast defensive shields. He will find who he was meant to be traveling with Vyse. And Vyse will find him to be his most trusted battle-brother.
> 
> And yes, in case you were wondering, some crewmembers will be recruited early, and I'm not afraid of shaking the apple cart. Because this isn't a Novelization. It just looks like one on occasion.


	23. A World Full Of Rogues (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Delphinus is refitted for a voyage to save the world, the Blue Rogues continue to gain crewmembers and allies, and the legend of Captain Vyse grows in the wake of the ship's first trial...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

 

**Twenty-Three: A World Full of Rogues (Part 1)**

* * *

  
  


_ The City of Nasrad, Lands Under the Red Moon _

_ 120 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


To the people of Nasrad, the presence of the  _ Delphinus _ would have come as a terrible shock. No naval vessel had stood in the path of the ship as it crossed the South Danel Strait, and there were far more unregistered merchant ships and likely Black Pirates sailing the skies. Most had kept well clear of the  _ Delphinus _ , and only one ship had made the attempt at an attack, which Vyse had been almost certain was one that belonged to Baltor the Black-Bearded. 

It had only taken a single well-placed salvo from  _ one _ of the ship’s rotating turrets to lay the  _ Blackbeard II _ low and send it flying off for cover and repairs, and then the rest of the trip was uneventful until they made port. 

Rather than parking the  _ Delphinus _ directly in what was left of Nasrad’s dilapidated and torn apart harbor, which would have been impossible for its size, Vyse left Fina in command of the ship and went down in one of the ship’s runabouts with Aika and Enrique.

There were plenty of errands to be seen to, and there was the matter of the ship’s engineer and the builder which Captain Gilder had said would be waiting for them back on Crescent Island, a solid day’s worth of traveling in the much faster  _ Delphinus _ . Though Gilder had said he’d leave them with three weeks’ worth of provisions, Vyse had no desire to tempt fate and leave the men hungry and thirsty and forced to rough it like he had, if there was a choice. But Enrique had insisted that there were other things to be done as well besides seeking provisions, reporting in to the sailor’s guild, and looking for crewmembers. The exiled prince’s eyes leapt from the ruins of one Nasrian edifice or structure to the next, slowly building a tally of sins and travesties committed by the Valuan Armada. 

Vyse paused and set a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t do this.” He reminded the older man firmly.

“Didn’t I?” Enrique asked in return, his voice soft and low as he stared at it all from underneath his beret. He’d worn a more standard outfit instead of his uniform for this jaunt, but had refused to go without his beret. “Was it not my people who did this?” He went on, motioning to a few Nasrian children, dressed in rags, scurrying from one spot of shade to another as they traversed the harbor in search of food, or coin, or things that could be turned to coin. 

“You can’t bear the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s too much for one man.” Vyse said.

“Ironic. That, coming from you.” Enrique muttered, and walked on past ruined stands covered by shrapnel-torn tent covers towards a ladder that went up to the somehow still standing parapets around the harbor. Vyse frowned and followed after him, with Aika bringing up the rear after stowing away their checklist. 

“Ironic how?”

“You, who would stand alone against the Armada in defense of the world, think to tell me not to bear the weight of it.” Enrique reached the base of the ladder and looked to Vyse with calm, but deadly serious eyes. “I cannot undo their sins, Vyse. Allow me at least to grieve for those wronged by my blood.”

Vyse shifted uncomfortably with those words, remembering a warning that his father Dyne had given him one of the brief moments he had been alone with him on their visit home.  _ ‘To a true Valuan royal, there is no distinction between immediate family and their people when they speak of their blood. The King believed himself a father to all of his people, and acted so. If Enrique is the man I hope he is, he will act the same. Don’t let him drown in accountability, but understand he will grieve all the same.’ _

“Do what you must. But then remember you aren’t alone.” Vyse told Enrique, reaching out and grasping his elbow for half a second. 

Enrique smiled, nodding once. “No, I am not. Thank you, captain.” He headed up the ladder, and Vyse looked back to Aika, who rolled her eyes and gestured for him to follow their wayward royal. 

 

As they neared the top of the ladder, they heard an angry shout and then the sound of breaking glass. Vyse winced as he cleared the top and found Enrique warily approaching an enormous bear of a man, shirtless and dressed in the headdress of the Nasrian military, stumbling next to the blown apart remains of what had once been a powerful fixed cannon pointing out towards the harbor. Two other Nasrian soldiers were trying to hold him up, begging with him.

“Please, Khazim! Enough of this, you are killing yourself with the cactus liqueur!” One of them pleaded with the larger fellow.

“Bah! What does it matter?!” The large man named Khazim roared, using one barreled arm to throw the two normal sized men back away from him as he wobbled on the edge of inebriated imbalance. “Years, we trained!  _ Years! _ The best cannon crew in all of Nasr, and for what? For our guns to st...st...sit  _ useless _ when the Valuans flew in not from the south, but from our north! That’s what we’ve become, what Khazim has become! We are  _ useless! _ ” He spun around, eyes hidden behind gunner’s goggles, and growled at them. “So let me drink, let me forr-get our failure, the deaths of our people!”

“You should not bury any of that pain, soldier.” Enrique shouted out, and the drunken goliath and his two underlings turned as one to look at him and Vyse and Aika, who stood behind the exiled prince in disguise. “You feel grief and rage, and those are valid, rightful feelings. You should not hide from them.”

“Oh yeah?” Khazim slurred, stumbling forward a step. “And who’re you to tell Khazim how to feel?”

“Someone who also grieves for Nasrad and its people.” 

“There  **_is no more Nasrad!”_ ** Kazhim roared, and charged at Enrique. The prince sidestepped him neatly, tripped him, and sent Kazhim sprawling onto the stone walkway of the parapet before falling back a few paces. Khazim grunted and struggled to pick himself up. “The Nasultan’s  _ dead _ , the palace is  _ rubble _ , our city…”

“Is but stone and mortar and wood and metal, and all can be rebuilt in time.” Enrique snapped back at him. “What of your people? Did the Valuans kill them all, or merely put the torch to Nasrad and fly away?”

It was a question Vyse already knew the answer to; Ramirez and the 6th Fleet had blitzed Nasrad intent on maximum damage and shock, but had pulled back after capturing himself and Fina and Aika and Gilder. Nasrad had burned, but there had been no methodical campaign of extermination.

Khazim breathed hard, and Enrique leaned in. “So long as your people endure, Khazim, Nasrad endures. You are more than your Nasultan. He was a symbol and his death is tragic, but Nasr is not gone. It can yet rise again. But not if good men like you drink yourselves into oblivion.”

 

He kept his distance as Khazim slowly stood back up, finally allowing his men to help support him. Khazim sniffed once, rubbed an arm under his nose, and nodded mutely as he looked away. 

Vyse saw opportunity, though, and he was not one to waste it. “Khazim, was it?” He said. “You’re a gunner?”

“There is none better in all of Nasr, be it on ground or in the fleet.” One of Khazim’s men declared proudly. 

Vyse smiled. “Are you interested in a job?”

“Doing what?”

“What you were trained to do.” Vyse declared. “Operating the cannons of a warship, and taking the fight to Valua.” With Khazim’s eyes on him, Vyse raised his arm and pointed to the  _ Delphinus _ in the distance, one and a half miles from the coast of Nasrad’s harbor. “My name is Captain Vyse of the Blue Rogues. And that is my ship, the  _ Delphinus _ . We are enemies of Valua, publicly declared, and twice have I escaped the Grand Fortress.” 

Enrique caught on to his train of thought, and slipped into the conversation effortlessly. “Khazim. There are many ways to help your people. But I see in you more of a warrior than a builder. Your place is not here in the ruins, rebuilding Nasrad out of the ashes. Your place is with us, making the Armada and Lord Galcian and all the admirals pay for what they did to your people.”

Khazim’s jaw firmed up. “You would declare war on Valua?”

“The Blue Rogues have been at war with Valua for two decades.” Vyse pointed out, extending an arm to Khazim. “Where we’re going, with what we’re doing, I want the best serving under me. Are you the best, Khazim? Are you willing to join my crew and bring the fight to Valua, to lead it away from your people?”

Khazim took in a deep and bracing breath, then pushed himself up away from his men and stood tall. The Nasrian soldier and gunner came to attention and threw out the salute of his people, right arm cocked at the elbow and his hand bladed flat against his forehead, palm facing outwards. 

“Khazim will show Valua the meaning of  _ true firepower! _ Just you watch, captain!”

Vyse smiled and looked over to Enrique, who smirked back. “In that case, welcome aboard, Khazim. Enrique? You mind flying Khazim and his men back to the  _ Delphinus _ and getting them a berth? Then take them to the gunnery station under the foredeck and get them used to the cannons and torpedoes they’ll be using. Khazim, any suggestions or advice you might have as a seasoned gunner, be sure to pass it up the line to either Enrique, Fina, or my Chief Engineer Aika here.”

“Yes, captain!” Khazim bellowed, red in the face but brimming with promise instead of alcoholic poisoning.

Vyse and Aika went back down to the street level and headed into what was left of the city, leaving Enrique to handle the business of seeing to their newest crewmembers. 

“Well, that worked out.” Aika mused. “I’m amazed we’ve gotten this far without a proper gunner’s crew.”

“This is just the beginning.” Vyse told his lover, all business as they wandered into the streets of Nasrad. 

***

 

“Nasrad is rebuilding. Slowly.” The sailor’s guild guildmaster told Vyse as he finished handing over the last sack of coins for the report of the defeat of ‘Loose Cannon Lapen.’ The head of the rolling tank Gunarm proved effective as proof of it. “But what remains of our great navy has been on the run since the Nasultan’s death. There have been some reports of them being sighted in the Frontier Lands to the far north, but there is nothing up there of any value.”

Vyse hummed thoughtfully. “Except for them. What about Valua? Have there been any other raids on Nasrad since?”

The guildmaster thought about it. “No. There are some grumblings that they might move to enforce a blockade if Nasrad does not submit to annexation, but…”

“But they don’t dare until the whole of the Nasrad Home Fleet is neutralized.” Vyse surmised. “So long as they’re in the wind, Nasrad is...safer.” The Blue Rogue smiled as he tucked the funds away. “They are keeping you safe the only way they can.”

“Perhaps they are.” The guildmaster conceded with a smile. “Admiral Komullah was always a crafty one. But you have not done badly for yourself either. Escaping the Grand Fortress a second time? And stealing one of the Valuan’s own ships to do it?”

“Blue Rogue.” Vyse replied, letting his Code and his allegiance speak for itself. The guildmaster laughed, and Vyse grinned and pulled the coin from his pocket that he had been thumbing unconsciously; Daccat’s coin. “We have a habit of doing the impossible.”

The guildmaster nodded, and his eyes alighted on the coin that Vyse rolled between his fingers. “Wait a moment. What’s that you have there?” He blinked. “That’s not a standard gold coin of Valuan or Nasrian minting.”

“You can tell that much about it from a passing glance?” Vyse mused, rolling it back the other direction. The trick had taken him a year to learn and work up the finger dexterity for, but it had proven invaluable in other endeavors. Like lockpicking, and small engine repair, and lovem…

_ Well. _ He smirked to himself and let the coin come to a stop, flipping it back in his palm. He was especially proud of the last one. Fina certainly had held no complaints about his talented fingers. 

The guildmaster came around his desk and leaned in for a closer look, then went pale. “That emblem...That’s Daccat’s symbol!” He exclaimed. “A genuine gold coin from Daccat’s missing treasure? After all this time?! Where did you find it?”

“The Frontier Lands.” Vyse said. “But there wasn’t a treasure. Daccat was apparently a horrible prankster. Or a wonderful teacher. An island full of elaborate traps and puzzles, and at the end, a lesson; one can do nothing alone. Any endeavor worth pursuing must be faced with friends, family, and allies. The greatest treasures.” He held up the coin and turned it over so the guildmaster could see the other side. “His treasure chest at the end of it all had a note telling us as such, and this single coin.”

“What will you sell it for?” The guildmaster demanded. “I would give you 10,000 gold pieces today for it!”

Vyse blinked. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly, Captain Vyse.”

“Do you even have that much money in your coffers?”

“Well...no. The guild does not exactly have a full 10,000 gold pieces on the premises. Not after I just paid you for the bounty on Lapen.” The guildmaster winced and came clean. “But I can draft a notice that you could redeem at our other locations on Sailor’s Isle and in Maramba.”

Vyse hummed and tucked the coin away. “We could use the money, but the fact is, we need the money  _ now _ . We’re still outfitting the ship, you see, and a draft notice isn’t something that the Nasrians here would take. Not with their own needs as dire as they are.”

“Point made.” The guildmaster sighed. “Well, if you change your mind, be sure to seek me out.”

“I will. I have a few other stops to make yet, but I’ll stop by later today.” Vyse waved to the man and headed downstairs, passing by the shopkeeper who operated on the first floor of the miraculously still-standing building and walked out.

Aika had said she’d wanted to check in with Fatima the innkeeper, and also to say hello at the tavern where she and Fina had worked for the two weeks that they’d been stranded in Nasrad. As the tavern was the closer of the two venues, he went there first, wandering inside. He found Aika up at the bar and nursing a glass of low-alcoholic cider, and looking thoroughly put-off. The reason for that was a buxom, large-figured Nasrian with sallow cheeks and torn and dirtied garments that had once been very fine, pestering the redhead.

“Please! Please, take me with you! Osman cannot stand to live in such squalor!” The woman (And it was a woman, now that Vyse got closer and could hear her voice) begged. 

“Friend of yours, Aika?” Vyse asked, stepping in closer and smiling to his First Mate.

“She wishes.” Aika growled out, and he could see just how badly her hackles were up. “Back when we were trying to put the money together for a ship to go looking for you, Fina and I went to see Osman here at her shop. She dismissed us as poor, dirty ship trash and threw us out of her emporium. Apparently her shop and everything she ever owned got blown apart and burned down when the Valuans sacked Nasrad, and one of her people ran off with all her money.” Aika’s brown eyes sparkled. “I can’t say that I’m weeping over it. Osman’s finally getting a taste of how the rest of us live.”

“Hm.” Vyse nodded, because there was a certain justice in Osman’s fate. But at the same time...Well. 

Blue Rogues helped out those in need. They didn’t always do it for free, though. Not when the people needing the help had means. Or were jerks. Vyse raised an eyebrow as he looked at Aika, then gave a sidewards glance towards Osman.

Aika’s eyes widened, and her twin tails of red hair bounced as she quickly shook her head.  _ No. NO! _

Vyse just grinned, and Aika groaned, leaning in towards him as she pressed her forehead to the bar. “You’d better make her work for it,  _ Captain.” _ She grumbled softly. 

“Count on it.” Vyse told her, and then kissed the top of her head in apology. Aika lazily flopped a hand at him to make him back off, and Vyse straightened out his coat before turning to address Osman. “Osman, is it? You’re a merchant?”

The round woman in a yellow sunhat and dark glasses came to attention, nodding once sharply in a way that made her jowls jump. “Yes! Yes I am. And you would be this Captain Vyse that everyone keeps talking about, yes? That was your ship that flew in and scared the daylights out of everyone until they learned you weren’t a Valuan warship?”

“Well, it  _ started _ as one, but we handled the launch ourselves.” Vyse said, crossing his arms. “I’m told that you gave my First Mate and our dear comrade Fina a rough time when they first arrived.” 

Osman paled some more, which was an achievement for the already pale-skinned woman who looked as though she hadn’t felt the touch of the sun in years. “Um. Yes? I’m sorry about that?” She offered meekly. “I promise never to do that again?”

“That would appear to be impossible, since you don’t have the assets or capital that made you such a tight-fisted moneylender.” Vyse narrowed his gaze and turned his best glare on Osman. “Now you’re the same kind of penniless hat-in-hand person that my crew came to you as. Why should Aika treat you any differently than you treated her?”

“I can be your merchant!” Osman sputtered. “Whatever you need, I know where to find it! Whoever you think you know to do business with, I know three more and I know who will give you the best price!”

“Promising.” Vyse said slowly. “But not enough. If you weren’t a good merchant, you wouldn’t have risen as high as you did. If you want to sail with  _ me _ , Osman, on  _ my _ ship? Then you’re going to have to make some adjustments. Because the Code of the Blue Rogues is very clear. Blue Rogues  _ always _ help those in need. And you won’t be in it for yourself. You’ll be a member of the crew, paid the same as the rest. You’re going to have work harder than others, because right now? I don’t like you. And Aika and Fina sure as hell don’t like you.”

Osman swallowed. Vyse didn’t blink or look away from her. 

“Well?” He demanded. “If any of that’s a deal-breaker, you’d better tell me now.”

Osman swallowed again, looked from Vyse to Aika, who’d propped herself up onto an elbow and was staring at the both of them with a blank, waiting expression.

The middle-aged woman must have settled something in her heart, because she straightened up again and mustered a serious expression. “I imagine that you came ashore to get provisioned.”

“Somewhat.” Vyse conceded.

“Then we don’t have any time to waste.” Osman said crisply, stepping past Vyse and walking for the door. “Come on, you two. If we’re to have any hope of saving you gold you can’t afford to waste, it’s high time you got a proper lesson in bartering in Nasrad from a master of the haggle.” She kept on going even as Vyse and Aika looked at one another, then Osman turned and stared at them both. “Consider this my job application. Now scurry scurry, children.”

 

“You’d better be right about her, Vyse.” Aika grumbled, finishing off her cider and pushing herself away from the bar. 

“Worst case scenario, we’ll drop her off in Maramba.” Vyse shrugged, and the two followed after her.

 

***

 

Osman, whose first name was Rabina, turned out to be a merchant beyond peer. She knew of every merchant in Nasrad, and more importantly, had a knowledge of the market prices on everything that Vyse and Aika had needed to procure, from lugnuts to lodaberry jam. Her skill at lowering prices down beyond unreasonable to merely the victim of supply and demand was just as impressive as Vyse had hoped it would be, especially once she started hawking about how everything was going to “Captain Vyse, scourge of the Valuan Empire!” That Vyse was paying in good coin and hadn’t invaded or attacked had certainly helped her sales pitch. She even knew which of the tailors and seamstresses would be able, and willing, to leave Nasrad for an extended period of time to sign on with the crew. After all, while the  _ Delphinus _ didn’t require sails, there were plenty of linens, clothes, and  _ ship’s flags _ to be sewn. 

By the end of it, they found themselves on the docks, splitting a plate of kebabs between them under the shade of a hastily erected tent as what seemed to be fully half of the merchants and their workers and the surviving harbor freight crews busily kept up the work. With so few ships in harbor, the  _ Delphinus _ had finally been brought into a proper berthing, making it easier to transfer and load supplies into the ship through the multiple hatches that led belowdecks. Bolts of fabric that had been flown in from Maramba (And Vyse was sure he’d seen at least one carpet which had been tagged as a  _ Larso original _ , which was encouraging for little Rupee’s new career) were the next thing being led up the ramp, with Enrique and Fina supervising the crews coming aboard while Vyse and Aika watched from shore. There again, Osman’s talent proved vital. She knew which crews were trustworthy; two had been outright refused and led away once she explained that loads they handled tended to usually be shorted. The other concern Vyse had was possible spies trying to sneak aboard, but between Enrique, Fina, and Marco, they were keeping an accurate headcount.

“So. Do I pass?” Osman asked, savoring the meal along with a pot of sweetened air-temperature tea. She seemed much brighter after a decent meal.

“I’m warming up to you.” Vyse hedged his answer, looking over to Aika. “You definitely know your contacts here in Nasrad. But how about when we need to do business in Maramba? Or Sailor’s Isle? Or what if we go somewhere that you’ve never been before? That nobody from Mid-Ocean ever has?”

“I can put on a warm face and lie with the best of them, you know.”

“I’m aware.” Vyse said flatly. “But what I’m more concerned about is whether or not you can speak to people you’ve never met with graciousness and  _ mean it.” _

“Ah.” Osman looked away, humming to herself. “As needs must. A part of your Code, captain?”

“Informal.” Vyse replied. “For now.”

 

Vyse hurried through his meal and dove back out into the sunlight, supervising the loading process with his authoritative air of command. They were getting some additional high-grade pipes and wiring aboard to complete the loadout when a loud shout from behind drew his attention back to the port. Vyse flinched and then sighed as the Nasrad sailor’s guildmaster came racing down the stone ramp to catch up to him.

“Guildmaster.” He greeted the old man politely. “You have good timing. We were just finishing up our business here in Nasrad and making ready to leave.”

The old fellow was a little winded, but he bowed to buy time as he sucked in air and then clasped his hands together. “I was hoping to try and convince you to part with Daccat’s Coin again before you left.”

“Why are you so eager to claim it?” Vyse asked him, a little exasperated.

“It is said that Daccat was Nasrian.” The guildmaster explained. “Now, more than ever, we need symbols and heroes for the people of Nasrad to rally behind. Giving them his Coin, putting it on display? I offer you a ransom for it. To our people, it is priceless.” The guildmaster looked at Vyse. “What does the coin mean to you, beyond a story to be told?”

Vyse reached for Daccat’s Coin, still in his pocket, and let his thumb trace over the surface of the long-dead air pirate’s emblem. As he did, he turned his head to look at Aika, his oldest friend, his most trusted companion, his strong right arm. She was still over by Osman, arguing about something, and she was as beautiful as always. That he could tell her that at last made him smile to think of it. When he turned and looked up at the  _ Delphinus _ , and saw Fina up on the foredeck directing traffic with her pleasant smile and quiet authority, his smile only widened. 

“To me, Daccat’s coin is a reminder about what he really valued. About what was worth sailing for.” Vyse explained, shaking his head and looking back to the guildmaster. “And that lesson, being able to remember it, is worth a lot to me.”

“Worth more than 10,000 gold pieces?” The guildmaster pressed.

That, of course, drew Osman in with Aika trailing behind her, dripping with exasperation. The woman could  _ smell _ money. “Pardon me, captain, but did I overhear the guildmaster here offering you 10,000 gold marks for something?”

“Daccat’s Coin, milady Osman.” The guildmaster bowed. “But my business is with him, not with you.”

She huffed and drew herself up. “With my shop destroyed, I have signed on as a member of Captain Vyse’s crew. His business  _ is _ my business in matters of finance.” The guildmaster didn’t seem convinced, and he looked to Vyse for confirmation.

The Blue Rogue shrugged. “For the moment, she’s correct. He wishes to purchase Daccat’s Coin from me.” He went on to explain the details, and Osman hummed thoughtfully, her sun hat bouncing every so often as she nodded along.

At the end of it, she pointed between them. “You wish to keep it as a memento and a reminder of what you learned braving Daccat’s labyrinth, correct captain?” Vyse nodded. “And the guildmaster wishes to own it to inspire the people of Nasrad. It occurs to me there is a way to see you both satisfied, especially since the guildmaster cannot draft together all the money he would need to buy it from you directly.”

“Oh?” Vyse said, curious. “Go on, then.”

“He can keep the original. But in exchange, he will have to make you a replacement, along with the rest of the money. We can consider it interest for his immediate purchase of the coin.” Osman smiled past her glasses, and even with her eyes hidden, there was a viper’s presence about her. “But there is a way this can benefit Nasrad even more than with a rallying cry. A financial benefit. Tell me, captain, have you thought about commissioning a coin of your own?”

Vyse blinked several times, and glanced over to Aika for a moment to ground himself. She looked back, cocked her head to the side, and then stared at Osman as well. Vyse cleared his throat.

“How so, Osman? And why?”

“May I see Daccat’s Coin, please?” The merchant asked politely. With some trepidation, Vyse dug it out and set it in her palm, and she hummed as she examined it. “A coin has two sides, you know. Let Daccat’s emblem sit on one side...and leave the other side for your own.” She handed it back. “This is my suggestion. The guildmaster pays you what he can today. You give him the coin. In exchange, he will provide work to the artisans and forgers and minters of Nasrad and provide you not just with one coin, but one hundred.” Osman smirked. “You believe the lesson of Daccat is worth remembering, yes? Then have the guildmaster be responsible for the production of enough of them so that every member of your crew will carry one. It will take work and contracting after we leave, but the next time we make port here, he will have to make good on his delivery. It would be a simple enough matter for him to get in touch with the seamstresses here in Nasrad that are not coming along; The shop made a copy of the pattern for future commissions.” The idea did have some merit, Vyse thought. A coin for every member of his crew? With enough in extras to handle anybody else they might bring aboard?

“A sizeable agreement.” The guildmaster muttered. “Doable, although it will take time to put together.”

“With your permission, captain, I would be happy to draft a contract to that effect...with penalties should the guildmaster  _ not _ come through on his end of the bargain.”

“Reasonable terms, Osman, not outlandish ones.” Vyse sighed. “I don’t want his firstborn.”

Her face squinted up a bit, but she nodded. “As you wish.”

 

In all, it took her just thirty minutes to pen out a contract, and another 20 to make a duplicate. After Vyse and the guildmaster reviewed it, they signed both copies, with the guildmaster keeping one and Vyse the other, and Vyse handed over the coin.

“You take care of that now.” He warned the older man. 

The guildmaster gave him a sack of money and sighed. “As if I would do anything less. I’m not certain when we’ll see you again, captain, but I have much to do before your return.”

Aika sidled up beside Vyse, smirking. “We’ll say farewell for now, then.” The guildmaster bowed and headed off back into Nasrad, the coin safely tucked away along with the contract.

Osman hummed happily. “So. Do I pass?”

Vyse looked to Aika, seeking her permission. Aika sighed and rolled her eyes.

“You’re still on probation, Osman. Get on the damn ship.”

Osman smiled, looking far too pleased with herself. “As you say, First Mate Aika.” She sauntered off for one of the gangplanks, and Aika gave Vyse a stare.

“I’m not administering the Oath to her.”

“I’ll do it.” Vyse placated her. “May as well take care of her along with Khazim and all of his men. I wonder how many gunnery mates came along with him?”

“Around a dozen or so. Fina will have the accurate numbers in her manifest.” Aika replied, and the two started for the  _ Delphinus. _ “We’d better hurry on to your island. Brabham and Izmael have to be getting tired of just sitting around and burning through their supplies.”

They probably were, Vyse had to admit. Luckily, the  _ Delphinus _ would get them there by midday tomorrow if they left now. 

Say what you would about the Valuans, but they definitely knew how to build a ship.

 

***

 

_ Crescent Island _

_ 121 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Brabham and Izmael had been called ‘old’ by Gilder, and the air pirate who was just a shade short of flying under the banner of the Blue Rogues had said that the pair were looking for a challenge to ‘round out’ their careers. After finding the pair three sheets to the wind on rum and in no danger of scurvy from the wild citrus fruits that grew on the island, Vyse was beginning to question if Gilder just had a talent for understatement. Brabham was skinny as a rail, wiry in the way that made him seem like bones more than solid muscle, but the bald and blond-bearded sailor claimed to be  _ 147 years old.  _ It was a claim that Izmael, the short and stout-framed master carpenter and builder, repeated as well. 

“I didn’t think people could live that long.” Aika said faintly as their crew raced off of the docked  _ Delphinus _ with happy shouts (and barking, as Pow chased after Marco and Pinta). 

“Healthy living and a zest for life! Ba-baaam!” Izmael grinned, spinning in place with a wobble that his alcohol-tinted cheeks betrayed the cause of. 

The taller Brabham guffawed at that and tugged at his beard. “There’s nothing healthy about the way you eat, you fat old coot!” He complained in a raspy, asthmatic voice. 

“Bah! You’ve been calling me fat for a hundred years, Brabby, I would have thought that you’d come up with something original by now!” Izmael scowled, pointing at his comrade with a wooden mallet. Their act made Fina giggle into her hand, and even Enrique coughed to hide a chuckle as he adjusted his beret.

“Uh, fellas.” Vyse cut in, coughing once. “As entertaining as the two of you are, could we maybe focus on how you’ve been doing? We were beginning to get worried that we were cutting it close, leaving you out here this long.”

“Aah, it’s all right.” Brabham waved off his concern. “Captain Gilder figgered you’d take your time, what with the increased Valuan patrols and all.”

“Patrols?” Vyse frowned. “What’s been going on?”

“Well, don’t know if you’ve heard captain, but the Nasrian Home Fleet wasn’t by Nasrad when the Valuans burned it down. They scattered to the winds afterwards, but a couple days after the Valuans were all focused on your escape from the Grand Fortress, the Nasrian fleet started to put itself back together again. Gilder and Clara had to evade a couple of pickets to drop us off here.”

Vyse looked over to Aika and Fina with a concerned frown, and Enrique spoke up while Vyse was still thinking.

“There was no sign of a military presence in Nasrad. With the Nasultan dead, they may have decided for a policy of roaming interference. It’s the smart play; Any concentrated attack or siege would just prompt a larger counterattack by the Armada.” 

“Did I hear you say Gilder and  _ Clara?” _ Aika asked the old ship’s engineer, flabbergasted. “I thought that womanizing pirate didn’t want to have anything to do with her. Which is his loss, really, because she was way too good for him!”

Izmael chuckled. “Well, it was just plain weird. After the captain left your ship and came back aboard, we was all expecting for him to give the order to hoist anchor and raise the mainsails like always. But instead, he told us to hold fast, and some hours later while we were all still drinking and celebrating, Captain Clara came over from the  _ Primrose _ and went down to his stateroom.” Izmael grinned. “We didn’t see neither of ‘em until the next morning, and she was  _ glowing _ after. And the captain actually looked  _ happy _ for once!”

Vyse laughed under his breath. “Good for them. He actually listened to me.”

“You set them up, Vyse?” Aika demanded, while Fina looked at Vyse with a warm and approving nod.

“I just reminded Captain Gilder that she wasn’t always going to chase after him.” Vyse told them all, glancing between Aika and Fina and smiling back at them. “From what you ladies told me, Clara is a wonderful woman. All he needed was a good hard shake to be reminded of that. To become the man she deserved.”

Aika and Fina each slipped an arm around the other and pressed their waists and sides together as they blushed and looked back at him. They never said a word, and he heard them regardless.

“In any case.” Vyse went on, clearing his throat and turning back to Brabham and Izmael before anyone caught him making moonfaces at his lovers and started asking questions. “You’ve had the run of the island for a while now, Izmael. What do you think? Can we turn this into a home base worthy of the Blue Rogues?”

“Ab-so-lutely, Cap’n Vyse.” Izmael grinned, hefting his hammer over one shoulder. “What you have here is a marvelous specimen of nature, with pre-existing tunnels inside of a stable mountain complex I can expand in from. With enough funds and time, I can not only put together an underground base big enough to fit that whale of a ship you’ve got, but I can stack up a proper compound here on the surface and give you an overlook higher up in the mountain so you can have a bird’s eye view of it all. There’s enough materials here, especially with what I’ll be hollowing out, to make everything you’ll need to make port and relax.”

“You’ll have that time.” Vyse promised him. “After this, we sail for Ixa’taka, through the Southern Ocean until we reach Maramba...and then we’re going for the Dark Rift.” 

Brabham and Izmael shivered as their eager smiles disappeared along with their inebriation. “You aren’t joking.” Brabham uttered.

“No.” Vyse shook his head. “Not about this. Not about traveling into the unknown. On the other side of the Dark Rift are the lands under the Blue Moon. Our goal is to collect all of the Moon Crystals across Arcadia before the Valuan admiralty can. That’s our next stop.”

Brabham drew in a breath and let it out slowly as he looked past them and up towards the  _ Delphinus. _ “In that case, I’ve got my work cut out for me. Captain Gilder gave me a rundown of what you’d need; reinforced deck plating and a hull treatment so you’d be able to make it through stone reefs, and I’ll be working on your engines. Your ship is the top of the line for what the Valuans can make. With some tweaks, you’ll be able to fly through sky rifts just like they did to come after Nasrad. I know the technique behind it, I’ve just never had a powerful enough ship to manage it.”

“I’ll be working with you on that.” Aika told the old man. “And we’ve got another engineer on the crew, at least until Ixa’taka, who will be helping us.”

“Many hands make light work.” Brabham wheezed cheerfully. “I hope you’re not going anywhere for a few days, captain. Work like this, you don’t want to rush.”

“Take your time and get it done right.” Vyse told him. “Use anyone on my crew you need. Everyone else will either be helping out Izmael with the early stages of turning Crescent Island into our stronghold or getting the rest of the  _ Delphinus _ ready for its first real voyage.”

“With some time to relax as well though, right, captain?” Fina asked politely, shifting her hand ever so gently against Aika’s waist. A breeze passing by them all was particularly well-timed, because it hid Aika’s shiver at the Silvite’s touch.

Vyse coughed once and deliberately looked away from the red and blonde-haired duet, fixing a grin at Enrique.

“Well, naturally. And I could use some practice with my swordplay.”

“If you’re serious about becoming good enough to stand against Ramirez, Vyse, I will have to train you to be even deadlier than me.” The prince in exile told him.

“Then I have something to aim for.”

“Just don’t work him over too hard, Enrique!” Aika cut in merrily. “Vyse isn’t any good to us if he’s too exhausted to fulfill his other duties!”

Vyse coughed again at that and excused himself, moving to check in with the rest of the crew. Aika’s remark and Fina’s subtle suggestive teases seemed perfectly innocent on the surface. They were doing it to egg him on, he just knew it. To see how far they could go before he either gave something away or blurted it all out. Not that Fina or Aika particularly cared what anybody else thought about their relationship, now that they’d cleared the air with his mother, although they’d agreed to at least not scream it from the rooftops.

Luckily, he had at least a few  _ days _ to think of a way to get back at them before they sailed off again…

Vyse smirked as he went from a jog to a saunter, thinking of the possibilities. He was a  _ Rogue _ after all…

 

***

 

_ 128 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

_ Delphinus Bridge _

_ Crescent Island _

 

The  _ Delphinus _ was a mighty ship, but for all the promise and potential that it held, it hadn’t felt like it was his until now after the refit. When he’d stood outside on Crescent Island’s outlook and stared up at the mighty ship hovering above it, there had been a tremendous sense of pride in his crew, and in the vessel that they had all worked so hard to get ready for the rest of the voyage. And nothing made it seem more like his ship than the new paint scheme. Where once royal Valuan purple had graced the sleek lines of the mighty battleship, Blue Rogue’s blue had taken its place. It had taken every speck of paint that his father had provided him a week ago and more, but it had been worth it. Now with the paint dried and a protective lacquer overcoat in place, there would be no mistaking it as a Valuan warship even at a distance.

Just as he had hoped, the bridge now sported chairs with safety belts for every station save the helm. The captain’s chair was even more impressive, with thicker padding than the others and higher backed with armrests.

Laurence stood at the helm, his arms folded and his eyes hooded with his usual unimpressed posture. Fina was at his side, hovering next to the electrically augmented communication speaking tubes that connected the bridge to every other portion of the ship. Enrique was sitting across from Aika at the map table, but he stood up as Vyse walked through the hatch and strolled into the ship’s command center.

“Captain on the bridge.” Prince Enrique said, smiling. “Welcome aboard, sir.”

“Good to be aboard.” Vyse replied, giving Aika a respectful nod and a warm smile that wasn’t anywhere as impressive as the kiss he’d given her earlier in the morning to wake her up. Then he looked over to Fina, who shyly brushed her hair back behind her ear and under her veil as she couldn’t even meet his eyes. Of course, given how he’d found the girls that morning in their tent, and how he’d woken  _ her _ up after first stoking Aika’s fires…

“Have all stations reported in?” He asked, clearing his throat and moving to sit in the captain’s chair, adjusting himself  subtly as he did so.

“Osman has taken up residence in a corner of the dining hall, and Polly reports all foodstores are ready for transit.” Fina answered him, rattling off the reports she had likely been gathering from all over the ship through the communication lines. “Khazim is at the fire control station belowdecks in the bow, and the twelve men who came with him have sorted themselves out into three-man squads for each of the four turrets. We have torpedoes loaded in all the launch tubes, and 250 shells of standard ammunition; half armor-piercing and half incendiary. Nasrad supplied us with another 50 shells of high-grade Moonstone shells for magical combat, and Khazim has dispersed them equally between the turret loading bays.”

“Good.” Vyse nodded, already feeling better about their chances. “The Moonstone Cannon?”

“Still a work in progress, captain, but it is online and ready to fire.” Fina reported, finally looking frustrated. “Further upgrades and enhancements did not take precedent over other ship upgrades.”

“Speaking of Aika, how did Brabham fare with you and Lapen on putting the  _ Delphinus _ back to rights?”

“Reinforced plating was installed prior to the repainting, and our reciprocating engines are now fully tuned and sequenced with each other. We’ve added diversionary piping from the moonstone reactors to bleed off excess steam power into the maneuvering spinners during high turbulence as well.” The red-haired rogue’s grin was positively feral. “Before he disembarked to help Izmael with continuing to work on our island base, he said that we’d eat any sky rift aside from the Dark Rift for breakfast. We can cross every major boundary in Mid-Ocean now without difficulty.”

“A good start.” Vyse chuckled. “Enrique. How much do we have left in the coffers?”

“Perhaps 1,800 gold.” Enrique said woefully. “We’ll need to find some additional sources of income to cover incidental expenses we might incur on the rest of our transit to Ixa’taka and Maramba afterwards. But the _Delphinus_ is fully kitted out and supplied. Miss Aika and Engineer Lapen should be able to handle any minor repairs, provided nobody blows a hole through the ship or makes us lose a propellor shaft.”

“We’ll be all right, Enrique.” Vyse reassured him. “Blue Rogues may find refuge in audacity, but nobody lives long sailing who isn’t cautious.”

“I’m encouraged.” Enrique quipped, turning back to the map table. “The barometer indicates clear skies for our dogleg up into The Frontier Lands, at least. I just hope Illchymis is home when we get there. Assuming we find his home.”  Enrique laughed under his breath. “I recall the unflappable Lord Galcian actually becoming piqued at reports that the scouts sent to retrieve Illchymis could not locate him.”

“Galcian isn’t used to being told no, is he?” Fina asked coyly.

“If he is, it’s more in the spirit of _‘please no, stop, don’t kill me.”_ Vyse snarked. He motioned to Fina as he stood up. “Radio engineering for us, would you Fina?”

“Aye, captain.” The Silvite hummed, turning back to the communication tubes and quickly getting to work. Aika’s voice sounded through the bridge’s intercoms a few seconds later.

_ “Engineering. First Mate Aika speaking.” _

“Hello, Aika.” Vyse greeted her. “Are we ready to take off?”

_ “Fina gave you the report, didn’t she?” _ Aika asked.

“She did. But I wasn’t asking about the ship just now.”

_ “Oh.”  _ Aika took a moment to collect herself.  _ “I have Lapen watching the moonstone reactor and the steam lines. He’s going to go off duty here in a few hours so he can cover the night shift. And about me being ready...Yes, captain. I was  _ born _ to do this.” _

“Yes, you were.”  Vyse all but purred as she lived in her confidence. “I’m sounding the take-off alarm.  Go ahead and hoist the anchor and ready the maneuvering spinners for departure.”

_ “Aye-aye.”  _ She chuckled, and killed the connection.

Vyse leaned back in the captain’s chair and folded a fist into his other hand, then leaned his chin on them. “Fina, if you would. All stations.” The Silvite quickly flipped the necessary toggles, and soon the entire  _ Delphinus _ was wired for sound.

“All hands, this is the captain. We’re leaving Crescent Island behind and sailing north into the Frontier Lands to look for another crewmember. Consider it a test run for the next leg of our voyage when we’ll be flying right through Valua’s backyard. You’ve all taken the Oath when you joined up, you know what we’re fighting for, and what the stakes are. Some of you have years of experience, and some of you are fresh to the skies. Rely on each other. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Do your part to render assistance. There are no menial jobs on board an airship; they’re all important.” Vyse paused for effect. “You gave me your Oath. I give you my word. I will never ask you to do anything I haven’t done, or won’t do myself. May the Moons bless us.” He made a gesture to Fina, and she closed the intercom lines. 

“Crewman Laurence? You have the helm.” Vyse told the stoic sailor in purple. “Set a course due north until we clear the bend of the Valuan continent, and then head west along the continental ridge.”

Laurence nodded and took his place, setting one hand on the wheel as he checked the readings. “Anchors are hoisted.” He reported calmly. “We are floating clear. Moving ahead at one quarter maneuvering speed.”

There was something majestic about a ship leaving port, Vyse thought. He’d always been impressed as a child, watching the wooden merchant vessels pull away from Windmill Isle after selling their wares and collecting the dried Sky Sardis that the fishermen offered in trade. The first time that he and Aika had been allowed to come along on a trip to  Sailor’s Isle, he had spent hours down at the dock, enraptured at the sight of ship after ship coming in and then going back out again.

None of that could top the feeling, the electric thrill of sitting in the captain’s chair of his very own ship, painted in his colors and bearing his flag as it pulled away. The mountain that overlooked the island slowly disappeared, leaving Brabham and Izmael to see to the rest of the island’s construction, and their safe harbor slipped behind them as they sailed into the distance. Vyse didn’t feel sadness or trepidation like others would have.

He only felt excitement for what lay ahead of them.

Vyse was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Fina coming back away from the front of the bridge and sliding in to sit on the armrest of his chair, not until the flash of her white and silver dress caught his eye.

Vyse had always thought of the open skies, the allure of the unknown as being his true home. It had been his dream for years, the thing that kept him going as he learned all the scutwork and minutiae of running and maintaining a sailing vessel no matter how irritating they were. 

“We’re ready for this, Vyse.” Fina said softly, a whisper just audible enough for his ears alone. Her hand came up and came to rest on his elbow. His other hand came up to cover hers, and his fingers sought out the spaces between her own. Unseen by Laurence or Enrique, her hand turned over and her palm pressed into his. 

“I know we are.” He whispered back to her as he closed his eyes and just felt the warmth of her hand and the pulse in her wrist against his own, and was tempted to pull her over the armrest and into his lap entirely. He resisted by the barest shred of lingering decency, and by thinking of what his mother would say. So he just held Fina’s hand in his own, their fingers intertwined, and slowly leaned over until his head rested against the side of her torso.

For years, his dream had been of traveling the world, exploring the unknown, seeing the things that nobody else had ever seen.

Fina hummed the notes to some unfamiliar melody as the  _ Delphinus _ came up to speed and headed north. Vyse smiled and let the sky and her voice and her presence all blur together as he thought of Aika belowdecks, who held the other half of his heart to match the piece he’d given to Fina.

His dreams were only complete because of them.

 

***

 

_ The Frontier Lands _

_ The Nasrian Home Fleet _

_ Admiral Komullah’s Flagship,  _ _ The Dunebreaker _

_ 129 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape _

  
  


Admiral Bast Komullah had taken command of the Home Fleet five years ago, to high accolades and well wishes from others in the Nasrian Navy. He had cut his teeth in command as a captain, serving as one of the few ships that had managed to strike telling blows against the Valuans during the war 20 years prior. While capable of audacity, it was his talent for holding back, reading the battlefield, and then maneuvering his opponents into just the right position to be shot down that had made him famous. Before his promotion, he had served on the frontier in charge of a flotilla of pickets and sentries that guarded the far northern borders of their territory, and had earned the nickname of ‘The Patient Admiral’. 

Being given command of the Home Fleet, the last and greatest line of defense against both Valuan aggression and nefarious air pirates who liked to prowl the South Danel Strait had been the pinnacle of his career. It had been his dream to stand as the bulwark protecting Nasrad from its enemies. He had assumed he’d spend 10 years in the role, living out his late middle ages before retiring comfortably at the age of 60 to return home and perhaps find a wife at last. 

The surprise attack of the Valuans through the North Danel Strait had never entered his mind as a possibility, because no ship had ever been able to survive travel through the sky rifts. By the time word came of the attack on Nasrad, he and the Home Fleet had been north, expecting the attack from the continent proper. There had been nothing he could do for his precious home city, or for his Nasultan. There had been nothing to do at all except to flee, and draw the attention of the Valuans away from Nasrad so his people might be able to rebuild in peace. Even though it made his warrior’s spirit burn in shame. Even though the captains serving under him had begged to race headlong into battle, regardless of the fact it was sheer suicide. 

For weeks now, he had led the Valuan forces in a deadly game of cat and mouse, using the familiarity of the terrain and the skies built up from his early days as the advantage to keep him and the surviving remnant of the Home Fleet one step ahead of their pursuers. He would strike at them where they least expected it, and then used the islands and the erratic weather to make his retreat. Flying through storms was hard on their ships, but not nearly as hard as a full-out engagement would be.

But the Valuans were persistent, and seemed to have finally wised up to his tactics. They had stationed scouts and pickets along every possible avenue of escape in advance of his latest ambush, and cut off his retreat, forcing the fleet out into the open skies. They were done playing his game.

The  _ Dunebreaker _ rattled under the impact of another heavy shell, nearly throwing him forward and over the rail. “Damage report!” He called out, his voice already hoarse from shouting over one too many other such incidents in the disaster of this engagement.

“We took a shell amidships, it’s started a fire in the mess. Fire crews are enroute!” The ship’s status officer called back.

“Damn the Valuans.” Komullah growled out. “How about the rest of the fleet?”

“All damaged sir, from light to heavy.” The captain of the  _ Dunebreaker _ answered, looking at him with a grave face. “I think this might be the end, admiral. Should I order all hands to abandon ship?”

Admiral Komullah closed his eyes for two seconds, reflecting on it. “Our men have been brave. For it to come to this...Signal the Valuans that we are surrendering. Raise our altitude so our men have enough time to get to the lifeboats and launch safely.”

The  _ Dunebreaker _ lined up the signal flags and started to rise up higher into the sky, cresting over the small islands that dotted the Frontier Lands. The order to abandon ship had just been ordered when the next salvo of shells smashed into the already battered hull, and this time Komullah swore up a blue streak.

“Those damned Valuans! Didn’t they see our signal flags?!”

“They did, sir!” His captain shouted back, because the wailing of the alarms had increased. “They’re firing any…” He paused, cupping a hand over his ear and the intership communicator before his face darkened. “An answering flag from the lead Valuan ship, sir.  _ No Quarter. _ They mean to wipe us out to the last man.”

 

Komullah seethed. “Honorless  _ dogs.” _ He rasped. “Turn us towards the sun. Perhaps we can blind them and give our men enough of a chance to escape. Pass the order on!”

Wounded and failing, the  _ Dunebreaker _ slowly turned up into the early evening sunset, trailing smoke and belching fire from the holes in its hull. Komullah stayed on the bridge with the captain as the rest of the bridge crew made a retreat for the lifeboats, determined to give them the best possible chance of escape and survival. If they could make it to the boats, if they could fly their boats away from the Valuans and into the dotted islands, they might have a chance. It was his duty to give them that chance, at the cost of his own life. Komullah had lived a long life, fought for most of it, forswearing love and a chance at family for his duty. He had nothing left to lose. It made the decision easy.

And yet…

And yet, he didn’t look back at the ships of death flying up behind him, but ahead and into the burning sunset, which burned at his eyes until a dark spot appeared and grew larger, lingering near a cloud that had partially covered it. 

A dark spot that gained definition, a shape.

Komullah blinked. It couldn’t be. And yet?

“Captain?” He said slowly. “What do you see there? In the sun?”

The  _ Dunebreaker’s _ captain squinted against the sunlight. “Another ship, sir? Another Valuan picket?”

“It couldn’t be. They arranged their pickets to keep us from disappearing into the islands and to force us into the open. Why would they bother stationing one at a distance?” The admiral glowered. “No, it…”

And then the ship  _ turned _ , ever so slightly, and even at nautical miles off, the shape of it in three-quarters profile made it clear that it was no normal wooden sailing vessel, or a merchant ship, or a Nasrian military ship coming towards them at high speed. No, that construction could only be for a ship designed out of metal. And the shape of it was one familiar to Komullah, based on the few reports of the Valuan strike force that sacked Nasrad.

“Hell!” He swore, and then the ship was bearing towards them. “Evasive! Evasive!” He shouted, even as he and the captain turned the wheel and worked the controls to dive down hard and turn away from it. 

It had been his dream to command this fleet. 

It appeared to be his destiny to see it die as well.

 

***

 

_ The Frontier Lands  _

_ The Delphinus, Bridge _

  
  


They smelled the battle on the horizon before they saw it. Black powder gunsmoke was thick and cloying, full of noxious sulphur after it went off, and thicker than rainclouds before it dispersed. And for as good as the pressure seals were inside of the  _ Delphinus, _ the air filters that piped in fresh air from the outside weren’t quite able to scrub all the stink out of it by the time it reached the bridge.

Vyse dug his fingers into the armrest of the captain’s chair, then pushed himself up and out of it. “Battle Stations.” He ordered quietly, already moving to the helm. Laurence glanced at him.

“You want the wheel?”

“I’d feel better if I were, yes.” Vyse said. Laurence let go of the wheel and stepped back, gesturing for Vyse to take hold of the spokes. For Vyse, the transition from passenger to the man guiding the whole of the ship was as natural as breathing. More natural, really. He was used to feeling in control when things got hairy, as he had when the  _ Little Jack _ had faced Recumen and Grendel and the best that the Armada could throw at him over the Great Nasrian Desert and the burning jungles of Ixa’taka. 

There was a prickling sensation on the back of his neck now, a mariner’s sixth sense that said whatever they were headed for was something dangerous.

Aboard the  _ Delphinus _ in every other compartment, the normal lighting dimmed as red lamps kicked on, and a droning klaxon kicked on. In the bridge, there was no need for it. 

At the communications station, Fina raised her head up after a minute. “Captain? All stations report ready.”

“Inform them we’ve picked up the trail of a ship-to-ship engagement. A very large one, based on the smell.” Vyse said, turning the telemotor and reducing altitude to turn and duck down in behind one of the small islands that dotted the Frontier Lands north of Crescent Island. “Enrique. What’s our position?”

“Approximately 100 kilometers from Daccat’s Island, based on our updated map from your log entries.” The former prince declared, already buckled in at the map table. “There’s nothing of note in the immediate area.”

And yet, there were ships fighting here. Vyse squinted his eyes and then reached for the engine order telegraph, dialing it back from full ahead to slow ahead, roughly a quarter of normal running speed. The  _ Delphinus _ quieted quickly as Aika made the adjustment down in engineering, and their course around the island slowed.

“Times like this I really wish we had a dedicated lookout.” Vyse said to himself. “Or four.” Slowly, they worked around the island until they could get a clear look on the other side.

Vyse didn’t even shout a command once he laid eyes on the situation; he just pulled back on the EOT from slow ahead to full stop and then reverse, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. “Eyes in the skies, people. Find us a good, thick patch of clouds now.”

They’d stumbled headlong into a running gun battle between the missing Nasrian Home Fleet and a full complement of Valuan warships. With any luck, nobody had spotted them during the brief pop-out maneuver. But Vyse wasn’t about to take any chances. 

Superior warship or not, he wasn’t racing headlong into that furball, not when there was a safer option to intercede. He reached over and activated the toggle to let him communicate with the gunnery control center forward and belowdecks. “Khazim? How do you and your men stand?”

_ “We stand at the ready, captain. Who are we fighting?” _

“You’re getting your fondest wish, Khazim. We’re taking the fight to the Valuans to save your people.” Vyse smiled grimly. He then flipped the master toggle, giving him access to the whole of the ship. “All hands, this is the captain. We’ve come across a Valuan war party attacking what is likely the last of the Nasrian Home Fleet. Since it’s happened in the Frontier Lands, which is basically our backyard, I’m of a mind to take offense to it.”

He looked around the bridge, fixing in on Enrique, and then Fina. The prince looked at him with hard understanding; Fina, with approving warmth. Then he turned and looked to Laurence, who was sizing him up as if still trying to make the measure of the man.

Let him try. Vyse was still deciding who he was for himself.

“We’re Blue Rogues. All of you have taken the Oath, agreed to live and work and sail under the Code of the Blue Rogues. And one part of that code is,  _ Blue Rogues Always Help Out Those In Need. _ Well. There’s a fleet full of Nasrians who need us right now to help save them. A lot of you have reasons to hate Valua’s military. Our chief gunner, Khazim, and his entire crew, are  _ aching _ for a fight. We could turn and run, leave this fight and pretend we’re not a part of it. If we were Black Pirates, that’s what we would do. But we’re not. We’re Blue Rogues, and we live by the Code. Blue Rogues never give up. And Blue Rogues Fly Free.”

“Blue Rogues Fly Free!” Fina called out, her voice low, but strong.

_ “Blue Rogues Fly Free!”  _ Aika screamed over the ship’s intercom, from the depths of the engine room.

_ “Blue Rogues Fly Free!” _ Came Marco’s tiny, squeaking voice from wherever he was. Those four words were repeated half a dozen more times by a dozen more voices, and then it rose to a chant that made Vyse’s heart swell with pride. He had chosen his crew well. And he wasn’t done recruiting them yet.

Vyse gestured to Laurence. “You have the conn, Helmsman Laurence.” He gestured up to a cloudbank high in altitude close to them.

The ship’s pilot raised an eyebrow again as he came over and traded places with Vyse, already moving the engines up to a higher speed and turning the wheel while he moved the toggle that would raise their altitude. “What are you going to do, captain?”

“I have a weapon to charge.” Vyse winked at him, gesturing to Fina as he approached the two silvery orbs jutting on reinforced struts at the Moonstone Cannon access panel. The Silvite stirred and came over, searching his face.

“It’s too much for you! I haven’t had any time to make adjustments with Aika yet…” She began to protest, and stopped when Vyse pressed a fingertip to her lips, her soft blue eyes widening at the tenderness in his touch.

“We do this together, Fina. I don’t want you collapsing on me again and sleeping for hours. And I know you don’t want me doing that.” He pulled his hand away from her lips, winked at her, and then set a hand down on one of the charging orbs. With an answering smile and a soft blush, Fina took the other, then grabbed his free hand with her own, completing the circuit between the two of them and the ship. Vyse immediately felt a low thrumming passing through him, and…

_ Oh. _

He felt Fina pressing in on his mind, and when he opened himself up to her, he gasped to suddenly feel everything she did. The whole of the ship, the empty moonstone reservoir in the heart of the ship’s main weapon that hungered for spiritual energy. The heartbeats, the pulse of life from every crewmember aboard, and how of them, Fina’s and Aika’s shone the strongest, as if answering the pulse of his own existence.

“Is this what it’s like for you?” He whispered, awed and humbled. “Is this how the world feels to you, Fina?” 

“When I try.” She answered softly, and he felt a wave of trust, love,  _ love _ from her and from Aika as Fina guided his strength into the heart of the ship. “A priestess of the Silver Shrine learns to listen and feel for the pulse of life. Until we master it, no spell of life, no spell of death can ever be flawless.”

Meaning that every other magic user in the whole of Arcadia who used silver magic had it wrong. Was doing it wrong, casting magic with an imperfect understanding of its guiding principles.

**“Enough.”** Fina chastised him, and guided his focus to the waiting capacitors. She fed a trickle of her power into it, and then nudged at him until his own followed it.

Their spiritual energy flowed out of them like two streams becoming a river, and poured into the ship. The  _ Delphinus _ stirred to wakefulness as it flew up into the skies, slowly removing the shackles from its dread power. And through it all, Vyse could swear he still heard the chanting of his crew, timed to the pulse of all the lives aboard.

Blue Rogues Fly Free.

 

***

 

_ The Dunebreaker _

_ Bridge _

 

The metal ship careened past them on a course that would have brought it close, but would have not resulted in a collision if they hadn’t moved in time. There was the flash of gunmetal and silver and an unusual blue, and a light more blinding than the sun from the front of it, where the hull opened like a jaw to reveal a horrendous monster of a cannon barrel…

And then the sky  _ burned _ with blue white firelight as the ship passing them fired, and Komullah spun to look out the reinforced rear lighting panel, back in the direction of the Valuan fleet and his own scattering forces.

The new ship had unleashed a terrifying beam of pure destructive light and fury. Missing every ship of the surviving Home Fleet, it carved a swath of death into the Valuan ships, gutting three of them in the light of that death beam and cleaving them into pieces. When the beam finally died down, the ship opened up with a blistering array of cannonfire and torpedo launches that bordered on reckless, raining power down on the scattering Valuan warships.

Komullah snapped himself out of his daze, spinning the wheel and nudging the captain. “Rescind the order to abandon ship! I don’t know who’s on board that ship, but they’ve given us a chance here! Raise all the flags and order them to counterattack with everything we’ve got!”

The captain, as shaken as he was, nonetheless grinned and recovered. “Yes sir, admiral!” It was a credit to his training how quickly he raced to carry out the orders, and within a minute, the bridge crew returned, confused, and then renewed once they saw the state of the once hopeless battlefield.

The Nasrian Home Fleet, emboldened by the audacity and fury of a lone warship that outclassed every other vessel on the field, turned about with bloodied faces and bruised and broken limbs and went after the Valuans, remembering the flag that they had flown when Komullah had offered surrender.

The Valuans had not seen fit to give quarter, to spare lives.

The Nasrians, the children of the desert under the Red Moon, gave them the same.

 

***

 

_ The Delphinus _

_ Galley and Dining Room _

  
  


It had taken them hours after the remarkably short engagement to make a full accounting of the Home Fleet’s status, and Vyse found the numbers Admiral Komullah reported somewhat disheartening. Still, it was not as bad as it could have been, considering. They had chosen the best possible moment to intercede; when the Valuans were so set on ‘finishing the job’ that they hadn’t been looking out for a counterattack. 

Fully a third of the Home Fleet had been so badly damaged that they’d had to set down onto the small dotted islands that had been their prowling grounds. The remainder was in various stages of damage and disrepair. After Komullah had come over to meet their rescuers, he had invited Vyse and his officers to dinner; due to the damage taken by the  _ Dunebreaker _ , Vyse had ended up extending a counter-invitation to Admiral Komullah and the  _ Dunebreaker’s _ captain to eat with them while the rest of the fleet’s captains saw to effecting repairs and reorganizing their beleaguered forces. It only made sense, after all; the  _ Delphinus _ was the superior ship. Even if Polly didn’t have the patience to organize a true state dinner.

The whole of the  _ Delphinus _ crew was all piled around the tables of the dining room, with Polly and Marco and Pinta hauling out platter after platter of food to be consumed. Laurence sat off on his own at the furthest table out, while Khazim and his men raised glass after glass of Nasrian wine to their success, even singing the songs and anthems of their people. Lapen and Osman ended up sharing a table near to the main one, with the merchant making effusive claims of happiness at their success, and sorrowful faces at the fact that so little of the supplies the Valuan warships had been carrying had been recoverable, as most of the ships that were destroyed had sunk past the clouds beneath them into the dark and unseen abyss of the Deep Skies. 

And at the main table, Admiral Komullah and his captain sat next to Prince Enrique, marveling at the presence of a Valuan royal working alongside air pirates, while Vyse, Aika, and Fina sat opposite them. Well, stood for the moment, as Komullah was leading them all in a toast.

“To the crew of the  _ Delphinus _ , the Blue Rogues of Captain Vyse. Cheers!” The Admiral raised his glass of cactus liqueur, brought over from his flagship for the occasion, and they all drank. Afterwards, they all sat down, every gentleman waiting until both Aika and Fina had sat down before doing so themselves. Vyse blamed Enrique for the practice; he’d done it once and had confused Aika until the prince explained courtly manners, and thereafter the girls had been positively  _ insufferable _ for a day or two as they teased him about  _ ‘showing us women some proper respect.’  _ Not that he hadn’t found his own way of getting back at them for the stunt, until now it had tapered off to just being a thing they did around polite company.

“The Blue Rogues have often been an unusual sight in Nasrian skies, captain.” Komullah went on, once they were all sitting and carving off slabs of meat from the serving platters laid out in front of them. “It was long my practice to tolerate the presence of those bearing blue flags when I served in the northern fleet, and it is one I intend to continue after today’s events.”

“I know of a ship or two in the area who will be pleased to hear that, admiral.” Vyse replied politely. “How long do you think it will be before the Home Fleet will stand ready to continue delaying and irritating the Valuans?”

“Weeks, I think. For a proper refit, we would need the right facilities for the job, but our shipyards in Nasrad were destroyed when it was burned. Working with what we have and what we can recover from the islands here in the Frontier, it will be longer than we would like. Still, I doubt that Valua will be able to mount any serious offensive for a while. The bulk of their forces stationed in the region had been assigned to hunting us down. With every ship now gone and unable to report back, they may hesitate to send good money after bad. To use a merchant’s saying.”

Vyse rubbed at his chin. There was a solution to that, of course, but...it carried risk. He turned his head to look Aika straight-on, and his First Mate cocked her head to the side curiously, wondering what he was thinking. Then she blinked, blinked again, and smiled, then waved a hand at him, granting him tacit permission. Vyse smiled and nodded, then looked to Komullah, who had been observing them in silence. Watchful silence.

“I may know of a place where you might be able to find some help. Or at least a damned good ship’s engineer.” Vyse explained, and Komullah sat up a little taller. “But before I tell you more, I need a promise from you. The oath of an honorable admiral of the Nasrian Navy to a captain of the Blue Rogues. What I am about to tell you is information we guard closely, information that the Valuans would trade their right arm for. Our headquarters, such as it is.”

“You believe that the Valuans would value that information over the destruction of the Home Fleet?” Komullah asked.

“Without question.” Enrique spoke up, as grave as Vyse had ever heard him. “You are a nuisance to them, captain. In the grand scheme of the plots devised by my mother and Lord Galcian, Captain Vyse and everyone sworn to fly with him are a much more pressing and troublesome threat.”

Komullah stared at Enrique for a moment, and slowly nodded his head. “There is a story behind how the Prince of the Empire came to serve as trusted confidante and soldier with this crew of Rogues,” He mused, “but I will not ask for it today. I accept your advice with the wisdom and the seriousness you offer it in.” He pressed a closed fist to his chest and inclined his head slightly. “I, Admiral Bast Komullah, in the name of the Red Moon and on the honor of my people, swear to never reveal the secrets I learn of you and your people with outsiders. May the desert swallow my bones and leave me un-mourned if I fail in this oath.”

Vyse relaxed; he wasn’t familiar with Nasrian vows, but that sounded like a serious one. A glance over to Khazim and his men nearby revealed that they had all stopped laughing and now were staring at the Nasrian flag officer with hard looks and slow nods. He could trust that reaction.

“I have members of my crew not on board the  _ Delphinus _ stationed back at our island stronghold, which is currently under construction. Should you be able to repair your ships enough to fly even a short distance, head south and make for Crescent Island.” Vyse tapped his fork on his plate. “Brabham should be able to help you effect repairs. Especially if your crewmembers render assistance in his efforts in helping with ongoing construction.”

Komullah laughed once under his breath. “I see. So, in exchange for your men helping to rebuild my fleet, my men will offer their help in building your base. A trade of sorts.”

Vyse shrugged. “I would have you pay them for their assistance, but I doubt you have much in the way of funds at the moment. So, labor for labor seems fair enough.”

Komullah nodded and held out his hand. “A fair bargain, Captain Vyse. I accept. We will help your people, as you have helped us.” The two shook, and the dining room’s celebratory air picked up again, with Khazim calling for another round of drinks in his loud bellow.

Komullah looked over to the gunner and chuckled. “Khazim, you drink too much! You always have!” He chastised the brawny man gently. 

“And you never drink enough, Bast, so I have to drink your portion for you!” Khazim laughed, heedless of the criticism. Everyone laughed at that, and Komullah let it die down before he rubbed at his chin and sized up the other man.

“Khazim, I am told that you guided the ship’s cannons and torpedoes in the battle to save us, is that not so?”

“All but the great cannon of light held within the belly of this metallic behemoth, yes admiral.” Khazim bobbed his head.

“Your skills in gunnery have not faltered even for serving on Nasrad’s walls.” Komullah praised him. “Do you and your men have any wish to join my fleet? We have lost people, good people, and there are still blows to be struck against Valua. I would be glad to have such a fiery-spirited and skilled Nasrian in my ranks.”

 

Vyse held his breath, and realized he was worried. Komullah was offering everything that Khazim had wanted; revenge. A chance to strike back against Valua. And he had something Vyse couldn’t give him as well, the ability to stand with his own people.

Khazim lifted the square goggles he wore all the time, revealing sharp dark brown eyes that were nearly black. Though his face was still ruddy, there was no trace of jocularity there now, and he looked sober for it.

“A week ago, Bast, I would have leapt at the chance.” Khazim declared. “But now? Now, I have taken an Oath. To serve under this man. To be a part of this crew. They are not Nasrian, but they fight against Valua, and from what I have learned of them in the short time I have been among them, I believe that what Vyse and the other Blue Rogues here do, where they go, will have a greater effect in stopping the Empire and serving justice for their crimes.” The gunner shrugged. “A part of the Code that the captain lives by is that we leave nobody behind, admiral. When I took the oath alongside my men, I... _ we _ all became Blue Rogues. I am Nasrian, and my heart is Nasrian, and I fight for our people still. But these are my people now as well, and I cannot abandon them. I will not.”

Komullah sat in silence, then chuffed once and smirked. “We are all called to serve. We do not all serve in the same way.” He gave a conceding wave of his hand to Khazim. “I accept your decision. Know that you carry the hopes of our people and the blessings of the Red Moon with you, Fasha Khazim.”

Khazim grinned and slid his goggles back into place. “May the Red Moon bless you also, Bast.”

Vyse drew in a relieved breath and grinned as Admiral Komullah looked at him good-naturedly. The Nasrian flag officer got to work on his meal again. “You inspire great loyalty and dedication in your crew, Captain Vyse.”

“And they pay it back ten times over.” Vyse replied. “We’re not done recruiting yet, though. This is just the beginning.”

“Oh? Where do you go from here?”

“A quick layover further in the Frontier Lands, and from there, to Ixa’taka.” Vyse chuckled. “There are some people there I’ve been meaning to meet up with again.”

“Valua makes many enemies.” Komullah pointed out sagely.

“And we make many friends.” Fina concluded, inclining her head ever so slightly before using her peripheral vision to meet Vyse’s eyes. She smiled, and Vyse couldn’t help but grin even wider.

They were just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Challenge Coins supposedly have their start during the heyday of the Roman Empire, when they were awarded in place of medals for meritorious service. In the modern military, they are given to those who serve with a particular unit. Vyse kept Daccat's Coin for what it represented; the creation of coins bearing his emblem on one side and Daccat's on the other will allow him to pass the lesson left by Daccat on to his crew.
> 
> Also, hey, look, it's Nasrad's Home Fleet. Remember how they were conspicuously absent when Nasrad got sacked? Well, now we know where they disappeared off to. A piece moved off the board still exists, after all...


	24. A World Full Of Rogues (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vyse finds a physician living in hermitage, and Fina uncovers the doctor's forgotten legacy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested listening for this chapter is "Ride Captain Ride" by Blues Image.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8lf7RLYIww

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Twenty-Four: A World Full Of Rogues (Part 2)**

  
  


_The Frontier Lands, Ilchymis’ Hidden Island_

_Upper Central Sky, North of the Valuan Continent_

_133 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


Were one to ask about Ilchymis, the answer would depend largely on where one was. In Valua’s capital city, one would hear the tale of the only son of a dying noble house brought up on fading old money, but who also held a sense of duty and morality. One would hear further that this noble son pursued a career not in politics or in military service as was standard, or even technological innovation. Ilchymis, the last scion of the House of Argas, had been enamored of science; the medical sciences, to be precise. In Valua, one would hear that he refused to pursue a career with the admiralty despite its clear advantages and developed medicines and remedies for the common man...and then disappeared from view right as Lord Galcian’s interest in his talents had become prominent.

Were one to ask about Ilchymis on Sailor’s Island, the people there would know the name, and tell stories about a strange Valuan who had a talent for medicines beyond anybody else, but who absolutely refused to put down roots and worked on a cash only basis. One would hear also that Ilchymis was in the habit of charging richer merchants and ships higher prices, but reducing the cost of his medicines to the truly suffering and needy. And there was no point in trying to dress in shabby clothes; the man knew the difference between the truly afflicted and destitute and those that were only faking it.

Were one to ask about Ilchymis in Nasrad, however, the name would earn quizzical stares. But if you also mentioned a silver-haired physician who made medicines better than anyone, their eyes would immediately brighten up. Yes, they knew of such a man, although he only ever called himself The Healer. Well, other people called him that and he more or less went along with it. He did not live in Nasrad, but he would fly in every so often on a small little ship, sell his wares in the bazaar for the day, stay overnight at Fatima’s inn, and then leave midday the following after picking up several deliveries of supplies, medical books and other assorted sundries that he always had ordered in advance. Then he would disappear and travel north, away from civilization, and into the Frontier Lands.

Taken as a composite, the picture one would paint of the man known as Ilchymis du Argas was that of a physician who cared a great deal about the unfortunate, and who lived a very solitary, secretive life the rest of the time. He was remarkably hard to track down, and his knack for keeping off of the map meant that the Valuan Armada, who still had an interest in securing his services, was never able to track him down. They had been getting closer, though. They knew he was lingering far off the northern coastline of the Valuan continent, they just didn’t know where. He thanked his strange little island home and research lab for that bit of saving grace. 

The island he’d been living on for years now was an anomaly in a world said to be full of them. Maybe because of the mixture of yellow and purple moonstones embedded in its soil, maybe because of the mixture of warm, damp air from the south and the chill winds to the north, it would linger in the upper reaches of the central sky before rising up past the clouds to the upper sky, a place of thin air, cold temperatures, and very little wind.

Were Ilchymis an astronomer, he would have cherished the clarity of the view it offered. As he was a scientist, he kept the doors locked and the environment sealed when it was in the part of its cycle that took it to the upper sky. A little bit of cold and the thin air was a price he was willing to pay for the tranquility that came with having a home that nobody could find.

At least, that had been true up until today.

Today, a large metal warship with blue paint on its hull flew towards the island during its descent phase while Ilchymis watched, the laundry on the line ignored.

He scowled and walked inside, and locked the door behind him.

 

***

 

They knocked on the door a little more than ten minutes later, and Ilchymis sighed softly in the back of his study and waited for the soldiers of the Armada to break down his door and come charging in. It was just the sort of boot-heel tactics he and the rest of the world had come to expect from them.

The forced entry never happened, but a half a minute later, the knock repeated itself, perhaps a few touches louder. _“Hello?”_ A voice called through the entryway. _“Is anyone there?”_

Ilchymis slipped a bookmark into his Fourth Edition of Drake’s Guide to Poisonous Flora and Fauna and closed it, setting his hand on the dust cover. He wondered if they might go away if he didn’t say anything, these soldiers were being unusually polite.

_“Um, sort of a trick question. You left your laundry hanging outside. We’re looking for a doctor named Ilchymis?”_

Well. Stick a pin in that ballooning hope. Ilchymis sighed again and stood up, strolling across the stone floor from his study through the workshop, and towards the front door. He stopped short of opening it, and leaned in to speak.

“I’m rather put out by the fact that you found me out here.” He told the voice on the other side sternly. “I would have thought that the remote location would have been enough of a hint. Although I suppose the Armada doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”

 _“Yeah, we’re not with the Armada.”_ The voice on the other side of the door replied cheerfully. It was a young man’s voice, with a few shades of deepness to it. Ilchymis adjusted his glasses, considering it. The owner couldn’t be older than 21 years of age. _“We’re Blue Rogues. Can we come in and talk to you?”_

Ilchymis looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. Blue Rogues. Well. Of all the different peoples in Arcadia who might come to darken his door and ruin his sanctum, they were probably the most ideal. He might still have a home standing afterwards. Still…

“Do I have your word that regardless of what happens, you will leave my home in peace and not tell anyone where I live?” The physician demanded. There was a pause before the younger man spoke again, sounding much more serious.

_“On my honor as a Captain in the Blue Rogues, no harm will come to you and your home, and no member of my crew will speak of anything that might lead Valua to find you.”_

Well. It was likely the best promise he was going to get. He prepared himself to be met face to face by militant air pirates who were only a marginal improvement over the rest of the world’s brigands and thieves by dint of the Code that they were supposed to act and be guided by. Two turned locks later, he pulled the door open and stared out expecting swarthy and unwashed sailors that reeked of alcohol, and…

Well. That wasn’t what he got. Standing front and center was a young man ( _Very_ young, Ilchymis wondered if he had even turned 18 yet) with a scar down one cheek, and a telescopic eyepiece lens on the other side. He had tousled brown hair, a quirky and optimistic smile, and a swordfighter’s build hidden away beneath a blue longcoat. Ilchymis stared harder and saw two places on his belt where swords should have been hanging, their missing presence given away by the slightly darker pattern of leather that the sun didn’t get to as much. This must have been the captain, even though his young age made that possibility boggle the mind. 

His eyes shifted to the second person and his mind _froze._

“Your highness.” Ilchymis rasped from his suddenly dry mouth, staring at Prince Enrique du Valua. He knew _of_ the Prince of Valua, nobody of noble birth in Valua didn’t, but he had never gotten the chance to know the young prince personally. He remembered attending King Mathias’s state funeral as a boy, and vaguely recalled seeing the young prince, just a tiny stripling of a thing standing between his mother and Admiral Gregorio and asking, with childlike innocence, why his ‘daddy’ wasn’t waking up. He’d never seen Enrique afterwards, in the long years when he went off to medical school and then continued his work afterwards, though it was nearly a requirement to keep up to date portraits of the Imperial Family. There had been one hanging in the royal libraries and the college he attended, and it was from those burned-in images in his mind that he recognized the man for who he was. 

The Prince of Valua smiled uncomfortably and quickly waved Ilchymis back up as he started to bow. “Please. It’s just Enrique.” Ilchymis stared at him, and Enrique shrugged. “I am also a Blue Rogue, serving under Captain Vyse. I have left my title behind for the time being.”

“I...I see.” Ilchymis said, though he didn’t really. It ate up the awkward silence anyways.

Enrique kept smiling placidly. “May we please come in?”

 

Belaid royal title or not, Ilchymis was not about to meet with the crown prince of his former homeland without a modicum of hospitality, so he had the two sit while he went about quickly brewing up a pot of tea with what dried leaves he had on hand. He was due to depart the island and go pick up some more soon, so all he really had left were the dregs. Still, Enrique declared it ‘very fine’ when he took a sip and nodded appreciatively. Ilchymis nodded back, and then turned to Vyse.

“How did you come to recruit the crown prince of Valua, captain?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard any stories yet.” Vyse said, setting his own cup back onto its saucer. “I think the story going around publicly is that we’ve kidnapped him as part of our dastardly ways. It’s not the truth of course, but it’s the story Valua is selling.”

“I prefer a hermetic existence.” Ilchymis explained. “And I don’t particularly care. The prince looks to be in good health and he clearly is comfortable in your presence, so whatever decisions or events led to him becoming...one of you, it was anything but a kidnapping.” He took another sip of his tea, set the cup down, and folded his hands in his lap. “Allow me to spare you a good hour’s worth of talking around the topic before actually arriving at it, Captain Vyse. You have come to recruit me, if I had to guess. Is this so?”

“It is.” Vyse nodded. “We’re in need of a skilled physician and doctor on our voyage. Enrique brought your name up, once we realized we needed somebody who knew their way around crafting above-average medicines.”

Ilchymis tilted his head up, knowing that the faint light in the room would shine off of his glasses and hide his eyes from their view by the move. “I refuse. Assuming I am being given the choice here, and you do not mean to impress me.” Impressment was a fairly standard tactic within the Valuan Empire; The policy instituted by Lord Galcian and approved by Empress Teodora allowed for any young man of age to be claimed in any Valuan-aligned settlement or port for service in the Armada. It was the reason so many chose instead to volunteer; that route at least offered up better chances for advancement and better treatment aboard ships. 

Vyse leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Of course you have a choice. I only want people on my crew who want to be a part of it. If I might ask, why do you say no?”

Ilchymis blinked at that and once more looked between Vyse and the crown prince. 

A prince who asked to just be called Enrique, and had sworn allegiance to an air pirate, Blue Rogue or no. A prince who seemed saddened by his refusal, but made no move to argue against it, a pirate captain who accepted the same refusal on merit and evinced an interest in its motive.

Ilchymis breathed in and out. “A ship such as yours has but one purpose; to make war. I have no interest in war, or in spreading bloodshed. I chose a career of healing and medicine, and left Valua when it became clear that I would not be allowed to continue it unfettered. You are a warmonger, and I am a pacifist. I will not tell you that you are wrong, so kindly do not ask me to be someone I am not.”

Vyse thought it over, nodded slowly, and then clapped his hands together before spreading his palms out. A gesture of acceptance, of ‘washing his hands’ of the conversation. “Well said. And I will not argue against it, nor ask you again.”

“That is…” Ilchymis blinked, and removed his glasses, cleaning them to buy time to regain his composure. He hadn’t expected the man to accept his decision without trying to argue about it further. “Thank you. Captain.” He concluded stiffly, and set his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

Something gleamed in Vyse’s brown eyes at that, and he stood up. “Thank you for the tea. As long as we’re parked here, would you mind terribly giving two members of my crew a checkup? They’re women, you see, and it’s been difficult finding a doctor that will give them treatment without also being difficult about it.”

Which was an understatement, Ilchymis knew. Most other ‘doctors’ out in the world were brutes who believed in sawing off injured limbs instead of treating them, prescribed alcohol for pain relief, and in some corners, still prescribed to the idea of bloodletting. And those were remedies offered to male patients. Female patients, far too often unfortunately, were taken advantage of.

It was a play on his sympathies, Ilchymis knew, and he raised an eyebrow. “One checkup. And then you will go?”

“And then we will go.” Vyse promised, putting a hand to his chest. “On my honor. Do your best by my...by them.” He said, pausing briefly. 

“No harm will come to them.” Ilchymis promised. Enrique doffed his beret and bowed formally at Ilchymis, who found himself bowing even more deeply because refused title or not, Enrique was still _royalty._ The prince and the young captain turned around and walked for the door, opening it and stepping back out into the chilly air. Ilchymis shivered as they closed the door, and went for his tea again.

Well. A relatively painless visit. And Vyse seemed the sort who would actually keep his word about not telling the world where to find him. Two checkups for two unknown female patients would see the Blue Rogues flying off and no longer darkening his door.

He could manage that much.

 

***

 

Their names were Aika and Fina, and they were both very pretty, with Aika having blazing red hair tied back in two ponytails that jutted up and away from her scalp instead of hanging down behind her, and Fina a living picture with blond hair down to her shoulders, dressed in a silver and white dress with a golden torc and bangles, and a small cutout in the dress just above her…

Well. Ilchymis was glad he was a professional. He could certainly see why Vyse would worry about them having trouble finding a decent physician.

He removed his fingers away from Aika’s wrist and shook his head. “Well, so far as I can tell, you two are in perfect health. And neither of you reported any recent illnesses. So why was your captain so insistent about scheduling a visit with me?”

“Enrique said that you were a very skilled herbalist and chemist.” Fina explained, smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles on the front of her dress as she reached for her second cup of tea. The blond moved as though she were of noble birth herself, a theory which Ilchymis admitted was made a little more truthful with the fact that Aika liked to call her ‘Princess’ often.

“Medicines.” Ilchymis corrected. “I make medicines.”

And Fina smiled. “So, you’re a pharmacist.”

The term wasn’t one that Ilchymis had ever heard before, and he tipped his head to the side. “Pardon?”

“A pharmacist. One that practices pharmacology; the creation and dispensing of medicines or remedies for illnesses, ailments, and conditions.” She chirped, as if she were reading it from a book. “Which is exactly what we need.”

“You need medicine?” Ilchymis looked between them. “For what? You’re both as healthy as a Dhabu.”

Fina bit her lower lip and glanced over to Aika, who cleared her throat and stared back at the doctor. “We need some medicine that will stop our monthlies.”

“Ah.” Ilchymis blinked at that. Anti-ovulants. A tricky, and very unexplored area of medical science. In truth, the more common remedies were harsh poisons used after the fact as abortifacients; they made a woman’s body incapable of gestating new life. Almost all of those were equally harsh. The gentlest of them was a drink made from a particular leaf which only grew in dark areas under moonlight, and even then only under the light of the silver moon. Silverleaf was rare and expensive, but ‘Moon Tea’ was the go-to among the well to do, being taken shortly before trysts to prevent the man’s seed from taking root. Its efficacy was largely based on anecdotal evidence, but it was still one of the most precious herbs out there. The fresher, the better.

He walked over to his supply shelf and got out a few other ingredients. “I could prescribe Silverleaf, but that’s rather expensive…”

“Uh, yeah. We’re not exactly rolling in gold at the moment.” Aika pointed out. “But we do need something that isn’t as _harsh_ as what’s typically available.”

“There has been some work done on the matter.” Ilchymis explained, pulling out a few small vials. “Some _very_ small work. There is much we are still learning about the human body. But suffice it to say, we have identified ‘hormones’ as being a naturally occurring chemical in the human body. My own research has gone a little further, and I have found a way to extract an organic derivative of these naturally occurring hormones from select plants. There are two kinds which manifest in the female body; a steady overdose of them seems to suppress the menstrual cycle. However, it is not something I have immediately on hand.” He apologized to them. “It will take me at least a few days of dedicated cooking to prepare the necessary doses. But by then, you will all have taken off and departed, and this island will rise back up into its higher position. If you like, I can prescribe a short-term abortifacient while I am working on your birth control medication. It is an inelegant solution compared to what my finished product should provide you.” 

The two young women both made a face at that, and Ilchymis tempted fate. “Of course, if that is not a preferable solution, there is always...abstinence. Refraining from sexual congress.”

Aika and Fina looked at each other briefly, and then they both slipped into laughter. Fina giggled with a hand pressed to her mouth, while Aika let out a boisterous laugh that filled the room. “Uh, no, I don’t think that’s an option.” Aika offered, when she could speak again.

Seeing as neither of them looked particularly distressed, Ilchymis let the matter drop. They weren’t being forced into ‘relations’ at least. And it wasn’t his business to ask which men they were sleeping with on board that ship.

Ilchymis sighed. “Very well. Give me a few minutes and I will prepare some sachets for you both. Brew them the day after you...enjoy yourselves, and take nothing else with them for an hour afterwards. I will start work on a more permanent solution, and you can retrieve them the next time you sail in this direction. I was going to ask your captain to never darken my door again, but I can make an exception in this case.”

He got started on the abortifacient sachets, and Aika called over to him from where they were seated. “You know, it might be easier for you to get this chemical cocktail of yours to us if you were on the ship with us.”

Ilchymis stopped his grinding in his mortar and pestle and breathed through his nose. “Perhaps. But I am not joining your crew. Your captain has already asked, and I have refused.”

“Why?” Aika pressed him. “We’re doing good work, you know. We’re saving the world!”

“You are fighting a war.” Ilchymis corrected her. “Perhaps it is necessary, and perhaps it is for a good cause, but I will not be a part of it.”

“Why not?” Fina asked him, walking over to his workbench and looking at him expectantly. 

“Because I am a _doctor,_ not a soldier or a pirate!” Ilchymis snapped irritably. “I chose to save lives, not to destroy them!”

“You could save lives if you came with us.” Fina pointed out diplomatically.

“Certainly. Bandaging up war wounds and resetting broken bones for a host of air pirates. What a wonderful career.” Ilchymis countered. 

“Do you know how many people have been affected by Valua’s reign?” Aika snapped at him, closing the distance to scowl at him. “They’re like a hungry beast that never stops eating. They won’t stop until they’ve taken over all of Arcadia and ruined it like they’ve ruined their own country. Hell, even _Enrique_ knows what they’re doing is wrong!”

Ilchymis stared at Aika, and Aika stared back, and the redhead seemed just as likely to break as he was. Which was to say, not very.

“Is there nothing we could do to convince you?” Fina asked him softly, using a hand to grab Aika’s elbow and pull her away from the confrontation. “Nothing we can do to change your mind?”

Ilchymis blinked at that, and felt his blood start to boil. Well. Points to the captain. Vyse had promised he wouldn’t ask the question again, but he _hadn’t_ promised that other members of his crew wouldn’t do the same. Still, Ilchymis knew of one foolproof way to make the women give up, take their abortifacient sachets and leave him in peace to his work.

“The only way that I would even consider joining up with your crew would be if there was one among you that could cast the spell of Riselem.” Ilchymis declared with finality. 

 

In Arcadia, there were six schools of spellcasting, one dedicated to each of the moons. Among them, silver magic based on the silver moon was by far the hardest and most unreliable. Most tended to only learn the lowest level and then gave up on it. The promise of casting death and life was great, but nobody had ever cracked it. The results were high rates of unreliability; poor success rates. And in the sorts of situations where that power was truly needed, there was never much in the way of second chances. Riselem was the rumored highest tier of silver magic tied to the domain of life and revival. It promised a true revival from death with none of the fatigue or sickness, making a body whole after being torn apart. It was myth and rumor and fable and the Great Gift all rolled into one improbable nexus; none had ever cracked it, and so many had tried and failed and suffered in the attempt.

It was an impossible request, and thus one that Ilchymis felt secure in asking for. Nobody among that ragtag crew, he was certain, would ever be able to even attempt it.

 

And yet, Fina just stared up at him with slightly narrowed eyes that hinted at irritation and no real worry.

“Is that all?” She asked flatly, and Ilchymis laughed, because it had to be sarcasm on her part. 

“Yes.” He said, expecting them to pack up and go.

Fina held out her hand. Ilchymis blinked.

“What are you doing?”

“I need a spell crystal. I’m assuming you have one.” Fina gestured with her fingers once in a beckoning motion. “As there is nobody dead here on the premises, I will need one to cast the spell.”

Ilchymis wanted to laugh again at the ridiculousness of the order and her confidence. He wisely refrained, went to a shelf, and came back with a fragile piece of octahedral shaped moonglass, smaller than his palm. He set it into her hand, expecting her to fail.

 

His breath caught in his throat seconds later when Fina’s eyes flashed a blinding silver and her aura blazed to life around her in the same impossible color, pushing down on him with incredible pressure and presence as an unnatural wind swirled around her. As terrified as Ilchymis was, Aika merely smirked and folded her arms, watching. 

Fina muttered a few words in a language he had never heard, and the power from the nimbus of light all around her brightened about her hand and rapidly infused itself into the crystal set in her palm.

Then all of the light disappeared, and the room seemed the darker for it. Fina reached out and grabbed his wrist, then slipped the now charged crystal into his hand.

“There. One Riselem Crystal.” She declared.

 

Ilchymis gaped as he instinctively sought out the spell’s power within the small construct. He could feel the pulse, the promise of _life life life after death by wounds or by illness_ from within, the silver glow rising and falling like a heartbeat. 

He had felt other crystals with other silver magic spells in them; fractured possibilities of _perhaps_ and _maybe_ and _this might work_. There was always such doubt, such risk present in them, for no caster could ever craft such magic without that high failure rate.

Ilchymis felt no such weakness in the spell crystal sitting in his hand. He knew, with the surety of all his healer’s training, that this crystal would, without fail, restore a dead person back to full life, hale and hearty.

The great miracle, the dream of every healer, and this girl, this young woman made it seem like a parlor trick.

“How?” He whispered, closing his hand around it and staring at Fina in awe. “Who are you?”

She smiled thinly and managed a formal bow at the waist. “My name is Fina. Emissary of the Silvites, descendants of the great Silver Civilization. The last trained priestess of the Silver Shrine, battlefield healer to my beloved friends, and a Blue Rogue in my heart, if not in vow. And you are?”

Ilchymis swallowed. “I...I am Ilchymis du Argas. I am a healer and a physician and a maker of medicines, and…” He closed his eyes. “Can you teach me how to do this?”

He kept his eyes closed, and he heard Fina inhale sharply for a moment, wondered why, and just as quickly dismissed the question when she spoke again. “Not in a day. Not in a week, or a month.” His heart fell at that. “But I can teach you the ways of silver magic, if you are willing to learn. If you were willing to sail with us.”

 

There was the carrot. The largest carrot ever offered to him. 

The chance to learn how to save the dying and the recently dead. If he would but sign on with the crew of Captain Vyse. He had refused on principle before, and out of spite.

In the face of this miracle, though, all that pride and principle began to fade.

“Nobody will ever ask you to fight.” Aika weighed in softly. “We will only ask you to be who you are. A healer, now and forever. We can take you to places nobody has ever been, give you the chance to experience new herbal remedies, learn new medicines. We weren’t lying about our need, Ilchymis. We need a proper doctor. My Princess is a miracle, but she can’t do everything. We need you.”

It only took Ilchymis a second to declare his answer. He was amazed it even took that long, afterwards.

 

Were one to ask the crew of the _Delphinus_ about a strange physician known as Ilchymis du Argas, they would tell you one thing.

He was their doctor.

 

***

 

_Delphinus_

_Surgeon’s Quarters_

  


On most ships that Ilchymis had traveled on, the surgeon’s office was more of an afterthought, some cramped little corner of the ship where the sick could be cloistered away from the healthy and space was always at a premium. On board the _Delphinus_ , however, there was a dedicated space, triple wide with removed bulkheads, with just over two dozen beds laid out in rows and the frames bolted to the floor. An adjoining space was set up for his own use, which he quickly marked as both his sleeping quarters and his dedicated laboratory. There were glass cabinets, empty for the moment, and some of the best medical equipment one could buy sitting packed up alongside the small crates of supplies that Vyse and the others had apparently picked up prior to recruiting him. They even had a microscope with 100x zoom! 

The work of transferring over all of his own supplies had required multiple trips and he’d gotten to meet several of the ship’s crew already in polite company, but there was the matter of performing standard physicals and establishing baselines of health; The practice was unusual and raised eyebrows among everyone aboard except for Fina, who just smiled and nodded and said in a voice that would brook no argument from the others that _they would all be happy to comply._

Which added another layer to mystery around the blond-haired woman, Ilchymis realized after the fact. Her stunning and miraculous talents in magic aside, there had been moments in their interactions so far where he felt as though she knew more about his field than he did.

In all, it was a full day of unpacking and sorting and mounting before he felt ready to begin his work, so once it was all done, he started the process of cooking down the first of the plant-sourced estrogen and progesterone he needed, set a very loud timer for both burner-equipped flasks, and then radioed up to the bridge to let them know that he was ready to begin seeing his new patients.

His first patient was a young red-haired boy that insisted on wearing a ragged-ended green scarf. The lady Fina accompanied him, standing close but not holding his hand as the youth scowled and looked around the room first, then centered in on the doctor. Something about the boy made Ilchymis think of a wild huskra, one that was so used to being on its own, on being picked at, that it would snarl and bark and snap its jaws at anyone who got too close.

“Doctor Argas? This is Marco.” Fina said, introducing the pair to each other. “Marco was our very first crewmember to sign on with us.”

“Really?” Ilchymis adjusted his glasses. “He seems a little young to...be on a ship like this.”

“I’m not a kid.” Marco snapped at him, and Ilchymis chuckled nervously. Well. His first impression seemed to be right on the money. 

All Fina had to do was press a hand to the boy’s shoulder and _look_ at him, and the growl stilled on his lips. “Marco has faced a lot in his life.” She said, looking back up at Ilchymis. “He is a Blue Rogue who wants to see the world. Please be kind to him, and look after him.” Ilchymis nodded, and Fina let go of Marco’s shoulder. “After you’re done here, Marco, I think that Captain Vyse wanted to give you a lesson in helmsmanship before you got back to your normal duties.”

“He did? Wicked!” The freckle-faced boy beamed, flashing a thumbs up. “We’d better get this done fast then!”

Fina’s smile widened, and she walked away, waving a hand behind her. Out of respect and instinct, Ilchymis found himself bowing as she departed. 

When he switched his attention back, he found Marco staring at him. “You’re weird.” The boy observed, and Ilchymis’ brain finally caught up, placing the boy’s accent.

“You’re Valuan.” The doctor countered, and Marco’s scowl came back with a vengeance. He bobbed his head in the direction of one of the beds. “Why don’t you take a seat up there and remove your shirt for me? We’ll take a listen to your heart and lungs quickly before we do anything else.”

 

He was ready for a lot of things, but when Marco pulled his shirt off, Ilchymis still made a startled noise in the back of his throat. He’d been ready for a lot of things, but not the sight of Marco’s body. There weren’t any bruises or scars, his life hadn’t been that hard, but there were clear signs of long-term malnutrition that a more recent steady diet hadn’t quite gotten rid of yet. He was scrawny and underdeveloped for his age, and what meat was on his bones was more for running than anything else. 

The long-suppressed memory of a dying Valuan man from the Lower City who’d stumbled into the Upper City and perished in his arms from sickness and hunger reared its head back up again. There was still fire in Marco’s eyes, however. Ilchymis focused on that as he continued the examination, ignoring how Marco shivered when the cold metal of his stethoscope pressed against the boy’s slightly sunken chest.

In all, the brief physical examination didn’t take long at all, and Marco was quick to slide his shirt and scarf back on after they were done. 

“So, how did you come to be a part of the crew?” Ilchymis asked innocently.

“Snuck aboard the ship before it launched.” Marco shrugged. “Figured I’d get off the next time it made port and make a run for it. Lucky for me, Vyse ended up stealing it first.” The boy grinned at that. “He said I could get out of Valua and see the world if I wanted it bad enough. He ended up being right.”

“So you knew him? Before?”

“Well, yeah. He and Aika and this old man they were with. I helped ‘em sneak into the Arena to rescue their pals.” The boy got a faraway look in his eyes as he smiled. “You know, he’s really something. The first thing he did after we got out of the Grand Fortress? He let me come with him back to his home for a visit. And he even let me keep Pow.”

“Pow?”

“A dog from his home island.” Marco explained. “Kind of our mascot. Me and Pinta take care of him.” 

“I see.” Ilchymis chuckled, not paying it much mind. After all, the bond between a boy and his dog was sacred. “So what do you think of everyone? Vyse and Aika and Fina and the prince?”

“Vyse is the best damn captain in the whole world.” Marco declared, daring Ilchymis to say differently with a flare of anger in his eyes. “Aika’s kind of a brat sometimes, but she’s not bad, once you get to know her. And Fina seems nice enough; I’m still getting to know her.”

“And the Prince?” Ilchymis asked. “You’re Valuan, after all. Is it strange being this close to royalty?”

“He’s no cake eater.” Marco insisted. “He does the same work the rest of us do, and that’s _with_ his airsickness.”

“Oh my. He gets airsick?” Ilchymis was already sorting through remedies in his mind. He was rudely brought back to the present when Marco jammed a finger into his stomach, as high as the boy could reach on the taller man. “Hey!”

“Are you _spying_ on us or something?” Marco demanded. “If you’re a spy, I’ll stop you! This is my home, and they’re my friends!”

“Calm yourself, little sailor.” Ilchymis soothed the boy’s nerves. “I’m no spy. Valua wants me as well.”

“They do?” The boy’s outrage flagged off fast. “What for? You kill somebody?”

“No. Quite the reverse. They wanted me to be a doctor for the Armada. I didn’t want to.”

Marco stared hard for a few seconds, then harumphed and gave a short nod of his head. “Good. You’re better off here. It’s the best ship in the whole world, Mr. Argas.” He nodded and walked off, not waiting for Ilchymis to tell him they were done. Apparently, the promise of a flying lesson with his hero was something he was _not_ going to miss out on.

Ilchymis sighed as he kept making notes in the boy’s chart, leaving a flagged front page in the folder to ensure that he got a higher regimen of quality nutrition with his meals. The boy was on the cusp of his major growth spurt, and there was a lot of catch-up work to be done before it happened. 

 

***

 

_140 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

 

Not everyone was willing or available to come down to him for a proper clinic visit, unfortunately. They had reversed course to the islands in the Frontier Lands to the east of the Valuan continent and had crossed over into the mainland when it came time for Ilchymis to see the gunnery officer Khazim for his first checkup. Captain Vyse wanted the gunnery crews on full alert during the crossing, which they were making at full speed in hopes of keeping the Armada’s home guard unaware of their presence. 

“So, you are the new surgeon, yes?” Khazim bellowed, a towering giant of a man who went without a shirt in the confines of the ship’s gunnery control center, but refused to be without his Nasrian turban or his glasses.

“In a pinch.” Ilchymis conceded, though surgery was the least favorite of the medical sciences he had studied. He preferred less invasive means of treatment, and had dedicated time to studying green magic for just that purpose. Still, magic eventually exhausted, and no physician would risk being unable to treat patients in the interim it took to regain their spiritual power. “I am better at making medicines. But today, I just need to check on you. I have already seen your men, but you have been more difficult to bring in for an appointment.”

“We are very busy down here, you know.” Khazim pointed out. He was on edge, and for good reason; before starting down, Ilchymis had glanced out his window and soured to see the darkened, lightning-filled skies of his homeland all around them. “At any time, we might find ourselves engaged in combat.”

“Do you think it’s likely?”

“The captain is not one to attack without cause.” Khazim insisted. “And his lady of the fire hair has worked the engines so that they would likely be able to outrun any of the frigates that might be on station. That is the hope, anyways. Still, we stand ready.”

“Do you think we have time enough to conduct a proper interview?” Ilchymis asked him. Khazim sighed.

“What do you need to know to leave me be so I can remain focused?”

“Your medical history. Any serious injuries or illnesses in the past. Allergies that you know of.”

Khazim rattled off what he could remember. No major illnesses. No allergies. Only a couple of training accidents, one which broke an arm from the recoil of a gun fired by a cadet before they had been given the order to and a concussion from being too close to an explosion once. Illchymis nodded, checked his pulse and breathing, and was about to excuse himself when the squawk box went off, and Vyse’s voice came down over the intercom from the bridge.

_“Bridge to Gunnery Control. Khazim, are your men ready?”_

“Always, captain! Have we been spotted by the Valuan pickets?”

_“Negative. But we’re coming up on what seems to be a munitions factory. We’re not stopping. Load torpedoes and prepare for launch. We’ll hit them as we fly by.”_

Khazim cackled. “On it, captain!”

Ilchymis rolled his eyes as Khazim sounded the battle klaxon and tucked Khazim’s medical file away in his bag. “I’ll see myself out.”

 

***

 

_141 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

 

Among the crew, nobody stayed busier than the captain, his First Mate/Chief Engineer, and Fina, whose own role in the crew was not so defined, yet who seemed to float wherever an extra set of hands were needed. In spite of all of the errands and assistance that the ‘Silvite’ as she had introduced herself gave to everyone, the blond-haired young woman somehow still found enough time to set aside to meet with Ilchymis and uphold her promise. That was, trying to teach him silver magic. 

They were still over Valua, but apparently flying unmolested (which begged the question as to _where_ the Valuan Armada actually was if not out searching for them) which gave Aika enough of a window to join them.

“She’s practicing as well.” Fina explained with a low smile. “Aika has a real talent for red magic, but she’s also very skilled with the green moon’s power as well.” There was a longstanding and archaic practice of aligning people with the six moons, depending on where in the calendar year they were born. Supposedly, one’s lunar sign (whichever of the six moons and then either Rising or Falling) played a great deal in one’s personality, outlook on life, and fortunes. They were also said to have a hand in one’s talent for the six kinds of magic. A moon someone ‘identified with’ was said to be their primary talent, the one moon, and thus type of magic, that they were most skilled in. Ilchymis largely dismissed the notion of horoscopes and lunar signs because it was all based on anecdotal evidence and self-fulfilling prophecies. He was a man of science, and believed only what the evidence of repeatable, proven experiments could provide. 

He wasn’t sure, but something in how Fina carefully phrased her explanation of Aika’s talents made him think that she might also be a skeptic of moon age mysticism.

 

Aika blushed a little under the praise and was all too eager to dive into the work alongside him, the pair using two silver moonstone foci Fina produced from the transforming creature she wore on her wrist as jewelry she called Cupil. For Ilchymis, it was two more jarring details about her. He had never seen, much less heard of any creature that even remotely resembled Cupil, and he had never held a silver moonstone of such quality in his entire life. 

For lack of a dead person or creature to practice on, they used two small, withered potted plants that Fina had transplanted sometime before and conveniently forgotten to tend.

“The silver moon is the domain of life and death. Revival and discorporation.” Fina said softly, her Cupil floating in a slow circle above her head as Ilchymis and Aika gripped their silver moonstone foci tightly and tried to draw out its power. “The green moon holds the power of renewal and growth, but it cannot bring life to what is dead. And the yellow, purple, red and blue moons offer destructive power to one degree or another, but none hold the absolution of true death. Such is beyond their domain. To bring life, one must understand death. To snuff out life, one must know what makes it possible. Yet in all I have seen of Arcadia, nobody teaches silver magic in this way. They try to take from it what they wish; warriors, death alone, mages, the power of life. Their thinking and their understanding are unbalanced. They try to control one alone, and control nothing.”

Ilchymis opened his eyes back up in frustration when the silver moonstone offered only the barest hint of response, retreating away from him. “Your people though, they figured it out.”

“The Silvites are what remains of the Silver Civilization. We live apart from the rest of Arcadia, separate and cloistered.” Fina told him. “But the legacy of silver magic, even lessened, continued in the world without us.”

“Just imperfectly.” Ilchymis complained. “I’m not...I think I must be doing this wrong.”

“You think this is easy?” Aika scoffed from next to him. The redhead opened one eye to gaze at him. “Fina’s had me practicing since we left Maramba, and I still can’t get it as good as I’d like.”

“You will, dear heart.” Fina consoled the other woman. “With practice.”

“You just make it look so easy.” Aika complained, almost pouting. 

“And I trained in the ways of a priestess for _years.”_ Fina reminded her patiently. “I’m asking you to visualize something that is so unlike any other moon’s magic that it is in a category of its own.” The Silvite looked over to Ilchymis. “Nothing in medicine has ever come easily.”

He huffed at that, knowing her words were true. Trial and error, every generation painstakingly building on the work of the last. “We could do so much good if we understood silver magic. No spell could fail.”

Fina looked away. “Life and death. Tell me, Ilchymis, what is the difference between a poison and a medication?”

He thought about it. “Sometimes, it is nothing more than the size of the dose.”

Fina smiled and nodded, making him feel as though he had passed some hidden test in that answer. She reached a hand down over his plant. “Life and death are not so far apart as we think. There is always a spark of one in an abundance of the other. And one can go too far.”

Her hand glowed with silver light, matching her eyes as the blue irises were drowned out by her power. The withered husk in the pot in front of him shivered under her aspect, and then color, the lush greenery of life, began to bleed into the brown leaves. Its stalk suddenly gained fullness and stood straight again. 

Then, suddenly, her hand became blinding to look at, and the now living plant trembled...and cascaded outwards in an explosion of greenery, disfiguring itself in its rush to heal until it stood as a warped and mangled mess.

The glow receded from Fina’s hand, and she reluctantly pulled it back to stare at the plant, now unnatural and riotous. 

“One can kill with the power of life, condemning it to a twisted and painful existence. Sometimes, death is natural. Preferable, even. All things live, and all things die, and to ask life to be returned, or to ask life to wither and fade challenges that balance. Reality fights back against it. You must know both, or the magic will never answer you properly. You must know your limits and learn restraint. What does it matter if a fire burns hotter or an icicle grows larger? Such are their natures. This is so much more difficult.” She waved her hand over the mutated plant again, and just a tiny pulse of her power lashed out at it, and the leaves withered and died as the stalk bled black and decay.

 

Aika groaned and leaned back in her chair. “I know you like to say that anybody can learn, Princess, but honestly? I feel like you’re wasting your time with me on this.”

“It is my time to waste, if that’s so.” Fina harrumphed. “But very well. Let’s take a break.”

Aika made tea for them all, and Fina sighed as she watched the other young woman steep the tea leaves. “She can brew tea perfectly with her magic, but I would _kill_ for a good cup of coffee right now.”

“Coffee?” Ilchymis asked, unfamiliar with the beverage. Fina started, then smiled sheepishly. 

“Right, you wouldn’t have heard of it. It’s my hope that we’ll be able to resupply when we reach Ixa’taka. You’ll either hate it or love it.” She leaned her elbows on the table and peered at him. “So. Ilchymis du _Argas_ , you said. An interesting last name. Where did your family get it?”

“I’m not certain.” The physician shrugged, glad for the respite. “Supposedly, my family wasn’t from Valua, not originally. But we’ve had ties to the kingdom for a long time.” He tempered his frown. “I didn’t leave immediately when the kingdom decided to become an empire, but my father died soon after. I think the death of the king, and what the country became, broke his heart. In the end, he accepted that I chose to pursue medicine. He said that I was still upholding the family creed.” Ilchymis shook his head, because even when he was dying, his father hadn’t accepted him and his choices. He’d merely tolerated them.

Fina’s head cocked to the side slightly. “A creed?”

“A tradition among Valuan nobility.” Ilchymis explained. “Any family of significance that merits a standard also claims a motto, a saying that defines them. The royal family’s motto, for example, is _‘Pride in leadership.’_ Appropriate, but not very original.”

Fina used a hand to cover her smile. “I see. And what was the Argas family creed?”

Ilchymis blinked twice, because it took him a moment to remember it. He hadn’t thought about it in years. “Ah. I believe it was, _‘Always to guide, never to Rule.’_ It was certainly the most unique of all the family creeds I’d ever learned.”

The Silvite stared at him for several seconds before nodding her head. “There’s a lot of wisdom in those words, though.”

“Perhaps.” Ilchymis conceded. “For much of my family, though,  it meant those that sought service in the military, or in the court, were usually passed over for promotion. That motto kept my forebears in service positions or advisory roles.  My father was a counselor to King Mathias before he passed away, even.”

Fina paused before speaking again, nodding gratefully to Aika as the other woman came over with three mugs of tea. They all sipped at it and woolgathered for a time, with Ilchymis enjoying the silent company as he ruminated on what Fina had explained, and shown, of silver magic.

“You know, Ilchymis, from what you’ve told me, I think your father was proud of you when he passed away.”

“He didn’t say so.”

“I know a thing or two about dealing with prideful people.” Fina said, refusing to let him deflect it. Aika let out a somewhat derisive and watery snort at the blonde’s assertion, and Fina rolled her eyes before she continued. “They don’t often tell you what they’re really thinking. I think he was glad that you stayed out of the Empire. Your family creed was everything to him, I suspect. You couldn’t uphold that family vow being a part of it.”

Ilchymis gave that train of thought a good long ten seconds of consideration, trying to mesh up the possibility Fina was suggesting with all of the scant moments he had with his father before the old man had passed on. 

She reached a hand over and rested it on top of his own, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“He would be proud of what you are doing now as well.” The woman said, calm and with a surety that left Ilchymis wondering.

They drank their tea, and nothing more was said on the matter.

 

***

 

_North Ocean_

_Gordo’s Bistro_

_143 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


One of the things which came as a surprise to Ilchymis was how quickly the captain and crew of the _Delphinus_ would bounce between exuberant happiness and somber sorrow. He got a firsthand dose of it once they passed through the Valuan continent relatively unhindered, save for one unfortunate frigate that refused to leave them be, and reached the North Ocean. 

There, roughly midway through their southerly voyage, they docked with a refitted ship that sported an enormous balloon shaped like a fat man’s face, mustache and all. It turned out to be a flying restaurant owned and operated by a (former) Black Pirate named Gordo The Round. Gordo at first thought he was under attack, but the sight of the Blue Rogue flag that Vyse used as his emblem made everyone relax, and soon alcohol and food were flowing, with Vyse bartering off the fish in the walk-in icebox that they’d caught over the voyage in trade for a meal that Polly didn’t have to prepare. It was a party up until Gordo, who left the cooking to his staff while he entertained and played host, asked Vyse how ‘Drachma’ was doing.

Vyse, Aika, and Fina’s faces all fell in unison at that question, and Gordo looked down in sadness. “Oh.” The restaurant owner said. “I...I’m sorry.”

“He died the way he lived.” Vyse offered, his smile strained. “Chasing Rhaknam. But he saved us first.”

Gordo made a gesture to another member of the waitstaff, and soon a fresh round of high quality Valuan brandy in tiny glasses came out on trays, a shot to every customer in the room. Nobody drank while Gordo raised his own shot glass.

“To absent friends.” Gordo declared. “I never sailed with Drachma, but I knew of him. He was a good man steeped in bitterness, and despite everything, he continued to be a thorn in Valua’s side.”

“To Drachma.” Vyse said, lifting his own shot in salute and then drinking it in one quick gulp, shivering afterwards. The room echoed the name and then drank as well. But then Gordo refilled his shot glass and Vyse’s as well, and smiled. 

“I have one last toast to make before you all keep on eating me out of house and home. A toast to your captain, Vyse of the Blue Rogues. If he hadn’t whipped me and my toque-wearing bandits soundly, I might still be a Black Pirate. But now, because of a suggestion he made, I have been reborn as a reputable merchant, a _restauranteur!_ Instead of sailing the seas for new and exotic foods and spices, I ask that people bring them to me, so that I and my crew might have the joy of new and fantastic recipes to cook!” Gordo extended his glass forward. “To you, Captain Vyse. For showing this old pirate that not all plunder need be taken at the point of a sword or a frying pan.”

Vyse smirked and clinked glasses with him. “Just be sure you _stay_ reputable.”

“Mostly?” Gordo asked, raising an eyebrow. “After all, a completely reputable businessman wouldn’t dare be seen dealing with Blue Rogues.”

Vyse laughed at that, and they downed the second shot together. Ilchymis was more than willing to be a presence in the background, watching it all unfold. As a result, he was uniquely positioned to see another patron in orange with spiky brown hair and a set of aviator’s goggles jerk his head up at the mention of Vyse’s name during the second toast. He seemed confused, disbelieving, and flummoxed in different measures. Ilchymis wondered if he was trouble, but aside from a small bootknife, the man was unarmed, and didn’t have the look of a hardened fighter.

He still grabbed his fork tight as the man finished his mug of ale and came over, coughing to get Vyse’s attention.

“Are you really Vyse?”

The captain of the _Delphinus_ looked at the man and blinked. “It’s an unusual name, I’m pretty sure I’m the one you’re thinking of.”

“The same Vyse who’s been finding one Discovery after another across all of Mid-Ocean and bleeding the Sailor’s Guild for the information?” The man pressed on. Vyse nodded, and the fellow let out a long-suffering groan and put a hand to his forehead. “Unbelievable. I come in here to drown my sorrows after being told that every lead on a Discovery I had in Ixa’taka has already been found, and you stumble right into me.”

“I’m sorry?” Vyse apologized unsurely. “I could buy you a drink to make up for it?”

The man let out a short, sharp bark. “A drink? By the abyss, I want to know how you do it!” 

“Ah.” Vyse frowned at that. “What’s your name, sailor?”

“Domingo.” The man introduced himself, pressing a thumb into his own chest. “Explorer, adventurer, and seeker of lost things. I’m also bitterly jealous of your talent. Just how old are you?”

“I turn 18 in a month or so.” Vyse said. Domingo groaned at that again.

“Unbelievable. A _kid_ . I’ve been upstaged by some kind of genius _kid_ who’s a _captain_ and has the biggest Moons-damned ship sailing the skies.” Domingo looked around a room. “And you have an entire crew. A crew full of people who either love you flat-out or respect you. How do you manage to do that, fight the Valuans, and still have time to take away all the glory of the Discoveries I’ve spent my life chasing down?”

Vyse laughed at how put out Domingo sounded, and Ilchymis smiled and set his fork back down. No fight was going to happen here today. “Blue Rogues never give up. And we’re known for going until we drop.”

“I guess.” Domingo muttered. “There’s nothing left for me to find now. You’ve cleared out all of Mid-Ocean, you know.”

“Oh, not all of it. I’m pretty sure I haven’t.” Vyse deadpanned. “And besides, you said Mid-Ocean. Have you thought about going outside of it?”

Domingo blinked at that. “Outside of Mid-Ocean? Where are you going next?” Vyse just smiled, and Domingo jumped on it. “Can I come with you?”

“I don’t take passengers. Only crew.” Vyse refuted him.

“Then can I join your crew?” Domingo demanded, and Vyse smiled wider.

 

Ilchymis shook his head and took another drink, stunned again at the company of Captain Vyse and his Blue Rogues. Domingo had all but fallen into Vyse’s lap. He’d been wondering for days how he and Aika and Fina had gotten so many people, the crown prince of Valua included, to join up with them. 

In his own case, it had been because Fina had shown him a glimpse, just a _glimpse_ of the power to heal and to save that he’d been chasing his entire life, and it was enough to walk away from the rest of his life. 

Vyse had offered Enrique a means of restoring the honor of his country in the only way left to him; by stopping the power that had consumed it. Vyse now recruited Domingo because he could give Domingo the world, and help the man to discover new wonders.

The physician looked over, and it took him a bit to find where Aika and Fina had taken up a chair in the corner across the bistro from him. The two had finished their own meals, and their toasting glasses sat empty on the table in front of them. They didn’t celebrate raucously like the rest, but instead just smiled and leaked happiness out into the room, with Fina curled in and resting her head on Aika’s shoulder, and the chief engineer’s arm wrapped around the Silvite’s side and pulling her in even tighter.

Nobody else was paying attention to the young women, and so they all missed what Ilchymis saw; their free hands pressed together, fingers intertwined and resting just barely at table level on Fina’s lap. 

The both of them were watching Vyse as the captain spoke with Domingo, content and at peace, and were it any quieter, Ilchymis thought they might have fallen asleep right there.

The both of them had been insistent on him making a better birth control medication for them. Ilchymis was suddenly glad for the principle of doctor/patient confidentiality, because that was one discussion he didn’t feel like having.

There was no easy way to warn your captain that there were two women on board his ship who were competing for a claim on his affection, and had taken steps to make seduction all but assured.

 

***

 

_The Lost City of Rixis, Continent of Ixa’taka_

_145 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


Another thing that Ilchymis du Argas hadn’t been expecting was how easily Captain Vyse and Aika and Fina all seemed to act on the same wavelength. After passing through the wrecked remains of a grand iron net that had spanned through an enormous hole in the mountains that formed the northern border of the continent beneath the green moon, the _Delphinus_ had descended at the base of another mountain hidden by the mists, and he found himself being ‘invited’ by both Aika and Fina to accompany him on one of the ship’s skiffs to travel into the lost city of Rixis. Vyse himself and everyone else on the ship were to sail on to Horteka, and they would all meet up again at King Ixa’taka’s hidden residence. 

“If you get there before we do, be sure you hound Isapa for a _lot_ more _kafa_ beans.” Fina had told Vyse with quiet intensity. “I am not going another morning without my coffee if I can help it.” That she grabbed the front of his coat with one hand squeezing the collar uncomfortably tight added a less subtle threat to the request.

Vyse had chuckled nervously and held up both hands. “Coffee. Got it.” And then Fina had smiled, let go of his coat, and stepped back looking like sugar and sunshine. Vyse had sighed, and Aika had merely chuckled and started up the engine of the skiff.

 

After landing, Ilchymis had found himself being escorted by the two women into the old ruins of a stone face, and onto a platform that glowed suspiciously of lost technology. 

“Why are you taking me to Rixis?” Ilchymis asked them, and Aika looked over at Fina for a moment while the Silvite breathed in and out, composing herself. Something had the blonde on edge.

“There’s something you need to see.” Fina explained, and then the platform started to rise upwards, guiding them in an ascent up a long stone chimney. “Rixis was the original resting place of the Green Moon Crystal, but it also has plenty of secrets of its own. One of them is something that will be of interest to you.”

She was silent the rest of the ride up, and at the top they stopped off into a sea of thick fog...and endless ruins. The lost city of Rixis, said to be paved with gold.

There was nothing but broken stone, semi-standing walls, and impact craters, and Aika and Fina guided him through it with a memorized path. Aika had her boomerang drawn and readied, but aside from letting her strange little companion Cupil float freely above their small procession, Fina seemed completely relaxed and unconcerned about being attacked. Ilchymis thought that perhaps she felt that way because they had been here before. Anything that she had been worried about must have been cleared out before.

“Rixis was the capital of the green civilization in the age before the Rains of Destruction.” Fina began, a somber tour guide as they passed through the wreckage of a place that was. He was breathing harder than usual, struggling to keep up, and Fina and Aika slowed their pace. The air here felt exactly like it did on the island he had called home before they recruited him; thin. They must have been very high up.

“There was no better place in the world to stargaze than up here on the high mountains of their homeland. They had observatories dedicated to it, and watched distant stars. Recorded the movement of the planets in the solar system, the patterns of the moons. They were a curious people, bound to the green earth, but forever looking above it.” Fina breathed shallowly, more accustomed to the weaker atmosphere. “They cultivated growth and health, and in the stars found a counterbalance in the ages above us.”

She was talking over his head; solar system? Planets? To Ilchymis, to the rest of the world, there was only Arcadia and the six moons and their sun. What did Fina know that he did not?

“When the Rains of Destruction came, not even Rixis was spared the wrath of the heavens.” Fina stopped for a moment to allow Ilchymis to catch up, and he froze as Fina gestured to an enormous crater that she had made them pause next to. “The only difference was that up here, above the clouds, there were no rains to wash away the ruins. Bodies decomposed, everything that they had and recorded was lost. Only the stone, a tribute to the green earth they called home, remains. This place is an open tomb for that lost age. The few survivors retreated below, into the jungles, and they might have been able to recover if their suffering had stopped there.”

Ilchymis swallowed. “It didn’t though, that’s what you’re saying.”

Fina looked at him and smiled sadly. “No. It didn’t.” She looked over to where Aika, who had walked on ahead of them, was now coming back. “Are we all clear?”

“Nothing’s moving. I think the critters we scared off last time decided not to roost here again and moved on. And the old traps and guardian totems are...well. Still broken.”

Fina nodded, started walking again, and Ilchymis followed her through the rubble and the mists.

 

“Why am I here?” Ilchymis demanded, after they used a platform to pass an entire maze of ruins and arrive in a still standing structure that was full of empty rooms and hallways. “Fina, what does the story of Rixis and the Rains of Destruction have to do with me?”

“We’re getting there.” Fina reassured him. They crossed through the corridors and came to two platforms, side by side, resting beside a platform that jutted out over empty air and a long drop. Aika stepped onto one platform, and Fina took Ilchymis’s arm and guided them onto the other, and the two platforms engaged and started to rise up. 

“We’re going _higher?”_ Ilchymis wheezed, staring at the platform under his feet with a wave of dizziness and panic. 

“Hell yeah we are!” Aika cheered across the chasm between their platforms, sitting on her lift without a care in the world. It cemented a thought the physician had been entertaining for days; these Blue Rogues were crazy.

Fina kept her grip steady on his arm. “Go ahead and sit down.” She instructed him calmly, and he slumped onto the platform, realizing shortly after that he felt his back pressing up against something. He turned and stared to see a faint glow rising up from the edge of the lift for about a foot and a half. He reached out and touched it, and Fina giggled. “Safety wall. You thought you were going to fall off? They knew how to build things to last. Now, where was I?”

“Um. Your story?”

“Yes.” Fina nodded. “So. The Rains of Destruction came to wash away the sins of the old world, and quell the monsters that the civilizations had made to wage war on each other. But for the green people, who had created the Gigas Grendel, the Rains had not stopped their beast. It went wild and out of control, and rampaged through their homeland. It would have killed everyone and destroyed everything...but someone stopped them.”

“Who?”

 

Fina smiled and looked up ahead and above them, and Ilchymis was left with uncomfortable silence as the platform finished the ascent. At last, they cleared the mists and the clouds entirely, and found themselves on a plateau looking at a sun-beaten temple of stone at the top of old, ageworn steps.

Aika hopped off of her platform first and she helped Ilchymis down. Fina calmly stepped off with a grace that still made Ilchymis think she was descended from royalty herself, and the Silvite led them up the stairs into the stone temple.

Ilchymis stopped as he stared at the portraits and writings on the walls, because there in the center image was a person…

Dressed exactly like Fina.

 

“My people stopped them.” Fina said, answering his question at last. Yet her voice was hollow. “But they weren’t my people, not exactly. As far as I was ever taught when I trained to be a priestess of the Silver Shrine among the Elders of my people, the Silver Civilization did not wage war like the other five did. We did not built Gigas and send them out to make war. We retreated away from the world, and when the Rains of Destruction came, we were spared the wrath of the Moons for our piety. We remained apart and separate as the old civilizations, the old world, withered and perished, and the survivors struggled to rebuild.” 

Fina walked up to the wall and traced the image of the Silvite carved and painted into its surface with a trembling hand. 

“When we crossed the Southern Ocean and reached Ixa’taka, the people here, the Ixa’takans, asked us if I was _Quetya._ Quetya was a person of legend, their gods and goddesses who saved them before, and who they prayed would come and save them again after the Valuans arrived. To a degree, we thought they were right after the fact, because we did fight to free them. We did push the Valuans out of Ixa’taka. But it wasn’t until we found these ruins...and this message, inscribed in ancient Silvian, that I realized they were being quite literal. Because _Quetya_ means nothing in the modern tongue, or in Silvian, or in the language of their people today. But in the language of the ancient, green civilization? _Quetya_ translates literally to _Silver Angel.”_

She spoke with her back turned to Aika and Ilchymis, and the doctor looked over to Aika, wondering if the other girl had any better idea where the Silvite was going with her deliberation. Aika just folded her arms and nodded, and looked back at Ilchymis, raising one eyebrow.

The doctor’s heart skipped a beat as he realized; Whatever Fina was leading up to, _she had discussed it with Aika first._ And probably Vyse as well, given how unconcerned he was at letting the two young women wander off into these ruins dragging a decidedly helpless older man along with them.

“The message here, written in Silvian, stunned me when I first read it. It was left behind by those who came here from the ‘Temple of the Silver Moon’ and explained how they stopped Grendel’s rampage, put him to sleep and saved the continent that would today be called Ixa’taka. There was no record of any of my ancestors ever coming here back in my home, no mention of anyone from the Silver Civilization ever saving the world after the Rains fell. Yet they were here, despite what I was taught. Silvites of old returned to the world of Arcadia and fought to save it, fought to dig it out of the ashes. Once that settled into my mind, after we had put Grendel back to sleep and restored the peace and I had time to think about it...I realized something else.”

 

Her hand finally pulled back away from the wall and she drew in a shaky breath. “In this world, there were people who must carry the blood of my ancestors. In this world, I wasn’t alone. Somewhere, lost to time and distance and genetic drift...I had _family.”_

Fina turned and stared at Ilchymis, and the hope and intensity of her focus was so great that he forgot to _breathe._

“You...You think I’m…”

“Your name.” Fina cut him off. “Ilchymis du _Argas._ A derivation of the root, Arcadius. It’s where you get the name of the world, but Arcadius is still a derivation itself. In ancient Silvian, the word was _Arrakad._ Which meant ‘Moon Born.’ Arrakad wasn’t a name long ago, it was a title given to those who could claim the power of the Moons as their own. Because not everybody could use magic, not now and certainly not then.”

Ilchymis’s brain spun wildly in place, and he slumped to the ground. “Impossible. I...But that’s…”

“Your family creed.” Fina continued, racing into it. There was eagerness in her words now, and she rushed through, as though she might lose her resolve if she stopped. “Speak it.”

The old words stuck in his brain, and it took tremendous will to shake them loose, to force them onto his tongue, to get them out. “Always to Guide, never to Rule.”

I took an oath when I began to train as a priestess of the Silver Shrine. I was just a little girl, speaking words I didn’t understand. But I understand them now, just as your father did yours.” Fina sniffed, and he saw tears gathering in her eyes. _“I ask the Silver Moon to empower me, not so I can conquer, but that I might lead. I ask the Silver Moon to protect me, not so that I will be invulnerable, but so that I can be a shield to those who are weak. I ask the Silver Moon to bless me, not so that I would live above my people, but so I might show them the path.”_

She blurred then, and it wasn’t until Ilchymis felt the burning in his eyes that he realized it was because he was crying as well. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. She let out a laugh full of sorrow.

“Ever since Rixis, I have wondered if I might ever find any evidence of my people. If there was some trace of them, some remnant of the legacy of those who refused to hide away, who stayed and fought for this world that I might stumble onto.”

Fina’s hand reached out and pressed to his chest. “I found you.”

 

“I’m not...I’m not a _Silvite.”_ Ilchymis said, the words heavy and wooden as his body felt then. “I’m not even Valuan, not really. I’m _nothing._ I’m just a doctor who flew around and helped people in secret. I never asked to be given anything.”

“You aren’t a Silvite, no.” Fina agreed, and her hand came up and tugged at his hair.

At his silvery hair, glossy and metallic when brunette, blond, black and red were the default colors across all of Mid-Ocean. 

 

“But you’re all I have left of my people.” Fina stammered, and Aika made a soft noise of hurt and comfort and raced to her side, grabbing the girl in the silvery white dress and holding her close in a tight hug. 

Ilchymis shook his head, strung out and worn and _broken._ His entire world sat around him, as crumbled as the ruins. Everything he had known as truth was lost now, and he was left with the tenuous new frame of existence that Fina had held up to his eyes. 

“You said your ancestors didn’t settle down in any one particular place. That they traveled.” Fina hiccuped, holding onto Aika for dear life and forcing herself on. “I don’t think that was a mistake, or because of wanderlust, or because they were too weak to settle down and try to grab power for themselves.”

“Always to Guide.” Ilchymis repeated, seeing his family motto, the oldest oath he had known all his life in a new light. “Never to Rule.”

Fina pulled herself out of Aika’s arms and walked over to him right as his dizziness hit its peak. He slumped to the side, and his face was buried in the fabric of her skirt. 

Her soft hands pressed to his head and held him there.

“You’re home.” Fina promised him, and she kissed the top of his head. “You are _home_ , Uncle.”

 

Ilchymis du Argas, _Ilchymis the Moon Born_ , laughed and cried and held onto the last priestess of the Silver Shrine for dear life as Aika grabbed and anchored them both. 

Ilchymis had gone with Vyse, had gone with Fina so he might learn the secrets of silver magic, the key to life and death.

Were anyone to ask about Ilchymis, ship’s doctor, apothecary, and surgeon aboard the _Delphinus_ among the rest of the crew, they would tell you emphatically that he was forever saving their lives.

Ilchymis would be the first to shake his head and tell anyone who asked _him_ that the very first life that was saved was his own, and that it was his niece, countless times removed, who showed him how.


	25. A World Full Of Rogues (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Delphinus sails across the Southern Ocean and makes port in Maramba, their last stop before heading to the edge of the known world...

**_BETWEEN THREE ROGUES_ **

By Eric ‘Erico’ Lawson

* * *

 

**Twenty-Five: A World Full Of Rogues (Part 3)**

 

_King Ixa’taka’s Hideout, Ixa’taka_

_147 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


Aika sometimes would find herself sitting down, regardless of whatever she was doing, just so she could marvel and ruminate at what her life had become. Not the fighting and being a Blue Rogue and being stuck up to her elbows in a ship’s engine, no. She’d always known _that_ would be a part of her life. It was everything else that took her breath away and made her eyes sting from sudden, happy tears.

Everything had changed when they attacked Admiral Alfonso’s flagship and rescued an unconscious Fina. It had been the start of it all, and now she had the love of her best friend whose cheek was scarred in the act of saving her life, the love of a woman that they both cherished and who loved them back just as deeply, and she was the Chief Engineer of what was quickly becoming the most feared ship in Mid-Ocean. She was friends with a _Prince_ who had walked away from an easy life because he could not stomach what his mother and his country had turned into. Their doctor was a man who Fina insisted had ancestry that traced back to long-lost and formerly unknown cousins of her people, she was ‘Big Sis’ to a scrappy, loudmouthed Valuan street urchin who was living his dream of seeing the world and growing up under free blue skies. 

They had friends and allies everywhere, and the Code that she had sworn by, lived by, was in a state of transitory flux as Vyse pondered changing phrases that had stood immutable since its inception 20 years.

But the thing that made Aika’s heart sing the loudest when she stopped moving, stopped grinning, stopped _laughing_ was the girl she almost always went to sleep next to, and struggled to sleep without. 

She stood in the guest longhouse that she and Fina had been staying in, leaned up on one of the main support beams, and looked at the Silvite still sleeping. A thermos of freshly brewed coffee, boiled from the _kafa_ beans that High Priest Isapa had passed on to the two of them when they arrived at the Hideout ahead of Vyse, sat nestled safely in her ever-present satchel.

Fina was a girl who loved her sleep and still struggled to wake up when Vyse and Aika did, but so much of her grace and poise she wore constantly, the practiced elegance, disappeared when she was lost to her dreams and the muzziness when she first woke up. Once upon a time, Aika had called her ‘Princess’ with derision for her mannerisms, and now called her that nickname with fondness and love for the same reasons. All that didn’t exist when she was sleeping or when she was alone with her and Vyse.

The mien of courtly grace drifted away to reveal Fina’s true self, the _woman_ she was beneath it all, the side of her she let nobody but her dearest friends and lovers witness.

Aika wiped a tear away from her eye and stayed still, even when the longhouse’s door opened and a familiar set of boots came in quietly, though not silently, and stopped behind her.

The redhead shivered as warm, sword-callused hands moved her hair away from her neck and lips pressed to her pulse right after. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her soft smile widened into a smirk.

“Morning, lover.” Aika purred, and Vyse let out a soft chuckle as he pressed in behind her and flattened his palm against her stomach, covered not by her usual leather armor but just the pale green nightgown she’d worn to bed the night before. “Missed you yesterday.”

“We got busy in Horteka.” Vyse hummed against her throat in apology. “There was a whole _thing_ where the chief insisted on throwing us a party, and then Centime fell apart blubbering when Lapen went up and apologized to him, and then he and Hans and Centime spent hours fixing up the _Ironsides_ so Hans could join up with the crew and Centime insisted on Lapen staying on with us and keeping an eye on his ‘little brother’ and Lapen and Centime got in a fight over who would be a better role model for Hans. I swear, they almost got out the fighting wrenches until Carol slapped them both on the arm and told them to stop treating it like a competition, and then Lapen and Centime went and got drunk together on aged Garpa wine…”

He was kissing her neck between sentences, and a few days ago that would have made Aika melt, but Vyse really picked the funniest story to tell, and she fell apart in his arms snickering with a hand over her mouth to stifle the belly laugh she had stored up in her. She didn’t want to wake up Fina with a belly laugh. Vyse, mercifully, stopped talking after that and just held her until she calmed down again.

“So. Yes. A whole thing.” Vyse repeated, trying for a shorter (and hopefully more serious) sounding answer.

“Well. I suppose I can forgive you for having a _thing_ .” Aika snarked at him as she pivoted in place, and rested her arms over his shoulders. The fact that it brought their faces wonderfully close together so she could stare into his beautiful brown eyes (And he’d removed his goggle before walking in, oh, that was _never_ a good sign of keeping a pair of dry panties) was purely coincidental.

Vyse smirked back at her, and nudged her pelvis ever so gently with his own, making her gasp a little. “You do love my thing.” He joked.

“Most days.” She rolled her eyes, and intentionally looked towards Fina to keep him from getting too many ideas. “I suppose we should wake up sleeping beauty over there.”

“Surprised you haven’t yet.” Vyse loosened his grip a little and leaned his head over to look past Aika. “How did Rixis go? I caught Ilchymis at the men’s hut on my way over. He actually seemed _happy_ instead of just dragging his feet along.”

“Rixis went really well.” Aika explained, kissing his cheek before letting go of him just long enough to sidle up beside him and join in on watching Fina continue to doze. “Remember that mural Fina found that had her questioning everything? About why there weren’t records of her ancestors staying on Arcadia and helping out after the Rains? Turns out that Ilchymis’ family descends from them. So she’s claimed Ilchymis as a long-lost uncle now.” Aika glanced at Vyse sidewards. “He’s...rather agreeable to the idea.”

“Will wonders never cease.” Vyse chuffed exactly once, then leaned over to kiss her, and this time Aika turned her head so he could kiss her properly instead of all over her still buzzing neck. It was slow and soft and perfect, and when they pulled apart it was the easiest thing to nestle her head under his chin and sigh.

“I love you.” Vyse said, his voice thick with feeling, and Aika hummed, knowing how deeply he meant it.

This was her life, and she wanted to weep from the joy of it.

“I love you too, you pirate.” She giggled instead. “But there’s someone else who probably needs to hear it this morning. And I’ve got something to help her wake up.”

“Funny, so do I.” He growled low in his chest and let go of Aika, stalking towards Fina, still asleep and completely unaware of the fate about to befall her.

 

Two minutes later, Fina was gasping his name and writhing as he peppered her mouth, ears, and her neck and hastily bared shoulders with kisses while his hands and body trapped the rest of her underneath the blanket, slowly waking up but still too muzzy to do much of anything besides feel, and definitely not awake enough to either kick him off the bed or beg him to tear the blanket away and finish what he’d started. 

Which was when Aika, feeling _much more_ like herself, sauntered up beside the bed and removed the thermos of freshly brewed coffee that she had prepared before coming back into the longhouse and losing herself in the miracle of what her life had become. She popped the lid off and blew over the surface of the dark liquid, filling the air with the potent smell of coffee and the wake-up drug Fina swore it contained, that it was _named_ for. 

“Fina? Babe?” Aika intoned sweetly, and smiled all the more when Fina’s aroused, shot-wide blue eyes turned to look past Vyse and up to her. Or rather, to the thermos in her hand. “What do you want to wake up with this morning? The tall drink of water teasing you to death, or this thermos of coffee?”

Fina’s eyes actually flashed silver as her power and her desires aligned. **“Coffee.”** She groaned, and nudged at a now pouting Vyse until he rolled over to allow her to sit up. Aika finally let out the belly laugh she’d been sitting on as Fina grabbed at the thermos like her life depended on it, breathed in the aroma, and then took a sip that left her groaning even louder than Vyse’s ministrations had with her eyes fluttering shut.

“Way to make a guy feel wanted.” Vyse grumbled halfheartedly. Aika dropped her satchel on the floor and then flumped over the end of the much smaller bed than they’d gotten used to in Vyse’s quarters on the _Delphinus_. 

Aika grabbed at Vyse’s hand and pulled at him until he gave in and allowed himself to be pulled up and on top of her. “Poor baby.” She cooed, looking up at him as the clothed captain of the _Delphinus_ stared down at her with darkening eyes. “I still want you. You mind, Fina?”

“Of course not.” Fina smirked, pulling her feet up and away from them as she kept drinking a beverage that by all accounts, she really couldn’t go without now that she knew it still existed. “Of course, there’s still a problem.” The Silvite pointed out.

“I agree.” Aika rumbled. “Lose the pants.” She ordered him. Vyse chuckled and sat back on his haunches, reaching for his buttons until her hands stopped his. “Keep the coat on. I want to know it’s my captain making love to me.”

“As my lady wishes.” Vyse answered, and Fina just smirked and kept drinking her coffee as she watched them. And after the coffee was gone, joined them.

Aika could never have predicted that her life would have ended up like this. 

It was turning out so much better than anything she’d ever hoped for.

 

***

 

_King Ixa’taka’s Palace_

  


Though the old stone castle was still mostly in ruins after the Valuan Armada’s onslaught at the start of their occupation of the territories, the rescued prisoners from Moonstone Mountain that hadn’t immediately gone straight to Horteka had opted to work alongside the king’s guards in beginning renovations. It was slow going and only the throne room was intact, but it was still the best meeting grounds for those not privileged enough to know the location of the young king’s hidden sanctum.

Take, for example, the Black Marketeer and ship merchant named Lorenzo, who Aika and the others were surprised to learn had taken on a very unique role as arms supplier for the nascent Ixa’takan Navy. They found him waiting just outside of the audience room, and after some stunned stares and pointing and shouting, explanations were quickly passed between them.

The wire-haired alcoholic mutely shook his head at the news of Drachma’s passing. He reached for the flask strapped to his hip, uncapped it, and raised it in the air before taking a swig. “Here’s to you, you old bastard.” He muttered in the barest facsimile of a toast. One long rum-soaked sigh later, he grinned at Vyse and Aika and Fina. “Still. You three’ve been doing well for yourselves, from what I hear. Valua hasn’t bothered sending anything more than token ships through here.”

“I thought you’d have pulled up roots and left.” Vyse mused. “No Valuans, nobody to sell arms to.”

“Alternative markets.” Lorenzo shrugged. “The King’s been buying up my surplus. I’m selling at a loss, but at least I’m getting _some_ of my money back. More than I would have gotten by hauling it back to Valuan territory and trying to slip it back to the wholesalers.”

“How very unfortunate.” Prince Enrique declared diplomatically, and Lorenzo paled only a little bit before he coughed loudly and nodded to the royal-of-indeterminate-status in their midst. “Have you given thought to becoming a _reputable_ merchant of these skies instead?”

“Not much money in that, your highness. Not with tariffs jacked as high as they are by the Admiralty.”

Enrique breathed loudly, nodding his head once. “Something else I often argued against, to little effect. Regardless, you might have better luck traveling around if you passed yourself off as a _legitimate_ businessman. At the least, you would not need to fear surprise inspections quite so badly.”

“If you know of something that makes more money than bootlegged liquor and arms sales, your highness, I’m all ears.” Lorenzo said sarcastically.

Enrique chuckled, pointing to the flask in Lorenzo’s hands. “Have you tried the local spirits? There was this quite marvelous wine, and they have varieties of fruits and vegetables that nobody has ever heard of.”

“Sellin’ produce unknown to the rest of Mid-Ocean?” Lorenzo muttered, scratching at his chin. “What makes you think that they’d buy any of it?”

Aika perked up. “I know of one man who will buy _anything_ that can be eaten, cooked, or drank.” She said. “And he’s parked right in the middle of North Ocean. You ever hear of a man named Gordo?”

“...The pirate?”

“Former.” Enrique explained, still smiling placidly. “Now he owns and operates a restaurant, and he’s always looking for something to make a delicacy.”

Lorenzo squinted at the four of them, then raised a finger up and shook it at Vyse. “Is this what you do? You deal with people and you...you _make them go legit_ on you?”

“Uh. No? Not really?” Vyse said unsteadily.

That was when Fina let out a, for her, uncharacteristically loud laugh before she hid it behind her hand, stifling it down to giggles. “No, you really do, Vyse.” The Silvite said, once she was more composed. “Rupee Larso? Gordo? Lapen? All former Black Pirates.”

Aika groaned at the realization, but brightened up some as she recalled something else. “But then again, you turned Fina, a perfectly _innocent_ young woman into a Blue Rogue, and now you’ve got the prince of Valua onboard as a crewmember and an advisor. So that puts a pin in the _redemption_ idea.” She winked at Fina, silently daring her lover to try and argue against Vyse being the source of her lost innocence, and Fina blushed and stayed quiet. 

Vyse rolled his eyes and looked over to Lorenzo. “At least think about it. If you’re up front with the king about finding them a new source of revenue, he may be willing to help your venture out a little. And just because you start selling Garpa Fruits openly doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to still smuggle other things.”

Lorenzo brightened at that. “So. It’s a cover then, is it?”

“Vyse, please don’t encourage illegitimate business activities.” Enrique sighed again. “Not where they aren’t warranted, at least.”

“Riiight, right, your highness.” Lorenzo tapped the side of his nose. “Absolutely. I’ll be straight as a rail when you take over, rest assured.”

Enrique shook his head, his smile more forced. “You may be waiting quite a while for that day to come, merchant Lorenzo.” And Aika could hear _if I’m ever allowed to rule after this_ underneath it all. Thankfully, one of the king’s guards came out then and declared that King Ixa’taka was ready to receive all of his ‘friends of Centime’s lineage’, which was a close approximation for them all being Blue Rogues. Centime did make for a reasonably crazy, but good-natured softie of an uncle in hindsight.

As they marched in, though, Fina sidled up beside Vyse’s unoccupied side and whispered in a mock silence, “Why didn’t you bring up coffee beans? Arcadia would _lose its mind_ once they became available.”

“Because as much as Lorenzo has been of help to us in the past, Fina, _Kafa_ beans are something that the Ixa’takans see as sacred, for all that we’re able to con Isapa out of enough bags of roasted beans for our own crew’s use.” Vyse said back softly. “And should they decide to pass on their sacred drink for mass consumption, I would like the people of Ixa’taka to see the benefit from the growing and selling of them. Not merchants from Mid-Ocean.”

“They’ll still need vendors to take their goods to other markets, you know.” Enrique pointed out. 

Vyse chuckled a little. “Naturally. But who’s to say it won’t be Ixa’takan vendors on Ixa’takan ships who will take their goods to market?”

“They have ships able to do that?” Enrique blinked in surprise.

“Maybe not yet,” Vyse hedged, “But in time?” 

 

There were times that Aika stopped and wondered just how the boy who had tackled her into the grass and pulled at her hair when they’d fought as children had become this man. Her footsteps faltered as her mind finally caught up to the strange and intuitive leaps he’d made so naturally. 

Vyse somehow was already looking past a future dominated by the Valuan Empire, to one where the Empire’s high tariffs and tight-fisted grip on trade didn’t exist. He was looking towards a future where Ixa’taka stood not as an impoverished continent and kingdom whose people stood at the mercies of everyone else, but a future where the people under the green moon stood as equals with the rest of Arcadia. 

She wondered what else would shine so much brighter in the world he searched to find.

 

***

 

_South Ixa’takan Airspace_

_148 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


They were sailing past Horteka and approaching the next chunk of the continent that held the Moonstone Mountain where they would make a hard turn and go directly East, where they would find themselves diving into the currents of the Southern Ocean with the wind at their backs.

The engines were as tuned as they were going to get, and with Aika now having not only Lapen but his foster brother Hans on the crew, that job took a lot less time. Hans was more skilled in diagnosing faults and managing repairs and replacements, while Lapen had a knack for fabrication and leaps of mechanical engineering that led to shortcuts. And weapons and weapon repairs. Hans was more than happy to leave the guns and torpedo launchers to his older brother. But there was one piece of machinery on board the _Delphinus_ that none of them, Aika included, felt completely comfortable dealing with, and that was even after reviewing the schematics and the woefully short instruction manual left behind by De Loco.

The Moonstone Cannon was a one of a kind weapon of terrifying power, but it was very much a work in progress that none of them quite knew where to begin. To their great fortune, there was one member of the crew who had a working knowledge of Moonstone-based energy weapons at least a decade or two in advance of their own.

No, given the surprising talent Fina had for grasping next-generation technology, it was likely more in the range of centuries.

The Silvite stood at the head of the table, the blueprints and diagrams laid out in a messy pile for Fina and Aika and Lapen and Hans to all stare at with equal attention. And Fina didn’t seem overwhelmed by any of this at all.

“The metallurgy and refinement is rudimentary, but De Loco managed to replicate, on a very large scale, a Moonstone-cored solid-state pulsed particle beam cannon.” Fina explained with unflappable calm. “Thankfully, Ramirez _who I have no doubt was his source of information in its development_ never spent much time studying weapons engineering or particle physics; it wasn’t a part of the skillset our Elders insisted on him learning.” The Silvite smiled a little sadly at that. “For once, the obstinancy of my people’s leaders did something right. In short, Valua built this thing, but they did so with a very rudimentary understanding of the underlying mechanics and theories that make this work.”

“Here’s to terrible oversight.” Lapen offered in praise, lifting up his mug of coffee. Aika chuckled at that; he’d caught Fina dragging in a thermos in the morning, asked for a taste, and had immediately perked up. The bandana-wearing weapons engineer looked to be the first of the ‘early adopters’ that Fina had sworn would come around to her favorite beverage. “Though I have to ask, Fina, how come you know so much about it? Aren’t you a priestess?”

“Communing with the Silver Moon and learning prayers and rituals gets very _boring_ after a year or two, Lapen.” Fina replied crisply. “I took to reading and studying about anything that could keep me occupied when I wasn’t praying or meditating. The kind of engineering you all have is...well. I can’t do it. But this? Moonstone energy weaponry?” The Silvite grinned. “It’s only new to you. Did you know, for example, that your Gunarm’s main cannon used an imperfectly cut silver moonstone? It’s why the thing fairly _screamed_ when you fired it, and why even a grazing hit could be fatal. The faulty resonance harmonics of the focusing lens you were using was building up to a cascade failure, what we call a ‘singing stone.’ A few more shots and the entire tank would have blown up and taken you with it. Believe it or not, Enrique did you a favor stabbing it before things got _worse_.”

Lapen went pale and covered up his chastened state by taking another drink, and Aika just smirked and looked over to Fina. “So. What’s the plan for upgrading this hunk of De Loco built junk?”

Fina held up her right hand and extended her index, middle, and ring fingers. “First, we’re going to open up the focusing array and realign the moonstone lensing rods. From the brief peek I was able to take, they slapped together cored rods from the silver, yellow, green and red moons to build this thing, and they don’t always cooperate. Add in the impurities from their refining process, and it’s going to take some very delicate work to get them treated and reseated in the housing. The second thing we’re going to do is take a look at the electromagnetic coils along the length of the cannon’s barrel, and get them tuned up for maximum efficiency so we’ll have a tighter beam with less energy bleed-off. The bonus to doing that is it’ll result in a lot less waste heat and a more accurate shot, so we’ll be able to fire it more often and much more cleanly than before. A proper moonstone energy cannon of this size shouldn’t lose cohesion for at least 100 Lunaleagues. And the **third thing** we’re going to do is build a better capacitor. Frankly, the charge time and the amount of spiritual energy this weapon requires is ridiculous. It made me pass out the first time I used it, and it took everything I had. With the improvements we’re going to try and make in the focusing array and the electromagnetic jacketing, it should lower the overall power requirements for the shot by…” Fina got a funny look on her face as she ran some rough calculations in her mind, “...An eighth? Maybe even a sixth if we do a _really_ good job, but without ultra-pure moonstone focusing rods, there is a point of diminishing gains.”

 

Fina finally stopped talking, noticing that Lapen and Hans, and _yes_ _even Aika_ were all staring back at her in varying states of comprehension and agog confusion. The Silvite blushed and pressed a hand to her cheek, leaning into it with a sigh.

“How much of that went over your heads?” She asked.

“Most of it, Miss Fina.” Hans said.

“Half.” Lapen confessed.

Aika just shook her head. “I don’t know enough about the underlying mechanics to follow you, really.”

Fina nodded and got out a blank sheet of paper. “Well. I suppose we’d better start with a basic explanation about light, energy, wavelengths and resonance harmonics then…”

 

The impromptu course on bleeding-edge scientific theory was cut short by the wailing of the battle stations klaxons, and a few moments later, the intercom on the wall blazed to crackling life.

_“All hands, man your stations. Advance team, report to the foredeck and prepare to repel boarders. Looks like those complaints we heard about Ixa’ness Demons weren’t just scuttlebutt after all.”_

Saved by the bell. Aika stood up and smiled brightly to the others. “Lapen, Hans, get to the engine room. Fina? We’ll have to save the lecture for later. There’s work to do.”

Fina eased out of her chair and smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles from her dress. “When is there not?” The blond-haired woman smiled back at her.

 

***

 

_Evening_

  


Aika sighed as she walked into the galley, worn out and looking forward to a meal before she turned in for the night. She wasn’t at all surprised to see Vyse sitting by Fina, cheerfully talking with Marco and Pinta as the boys hung on his every word. She shook her head and went over to the serving counter, giving Polly an easy grin while the buxom older redhead nodded back at her.

“Hey, Polly. What’s on the menu tonight?”

“Fresh loaves, pressed Garpa fruit, and Lumal Stew. With fresh Hortekan vegetables.”

“Hey, I’ll take it.” Aika smiled, grabbing a tray and a plate. A bowl of meat and vegetable stew got placed onto it, along with a glass of sweet-smelling fruit juice and a small loaf of bread just the size of her palms still crusty on the outside and warm. She could see a pot of the garpa’s remains over on the magnetic stove which would likely end up being a part of tomorrow’s breakfast. “How’s things been in the kitchen?”

“Not bad. But they could be better. I would love it if we could rig up the ovens to be a little more turbulence proof. I think there was a manufacturer in Maramba who’d been rigging up a gimbal system. Is that something the captain might be able to look into when we get there?” The woman asked politely. 

Aika smirked, because requisitions of that nature was definitely the kind of thing that was up to the captain or his shipwright (They didn’t have a shipwright, not with Brabham and Izmael still back at Crescent Island working up a storm) to deal with. Somehow, the crew had decided that in the absence of speaking to Vyse directly, she and Fina made perfectly acceptable intermediaries. Which was true enough, but when that _that_ gotten out to everyone? Fina had mentioned that morning that Tikatika had pestered her for a new pair of “Far-seeing tubes” (binoculars) whenever she got around mentioning it to Vyse.

“I’ll see what we can do.” Aika promised Polly. Vyse had business in Maramba anyways, she’d have time for a side trip. She scooted her tray off of the sliders at the counter and walked over to the captain’s table, plopping down on the open side of the table next to Fina. The Silvite smiled and nodded at her, and Aika gave her a wink before listening in on the conversation in progress.

“Honest, Marco. Enrique and I didn’t do a blessed thing fighting those girls.”

“We rather insisted on them sitting it out.” Fina added with mock seriousness. Aika cackled at the memory of their fight against the Ixa’ness Demons, who had taken one look at Vyse and immediately declared him their ‘prize’. 

Well, if a trio of warrior girls thought they could make off with _their man_ they had another thing coming. It was a point of pride. About halfway through the fight, the three had tried to combine their spiritual magic into a rather alarming combination attack, but Aika and Fina had put a stop to _that_ well enough with a boomerang to the face and a spell of stoning that left one of them screaming with an ossified arm.

Fina reversed the effect after they surrendered, of course. They weren’t out to _kill_ misguided people, just hurt them. A lot. 

There was a bounty out for them in the Sailor’s Guild; Lorenzo had passed that bit of information on to them. It would cover the cost of Polly’s new gimbal-mounts for the ovens and stove, more than likely. 

 

“So suffice it to say, boys, that it was _not_ okay for those girls to go around kidnapping men to drag back to their village as husbands.” Vyse intoned, bringing the summary of the day’s major event to a close. “So I want you two to promise me that when you decide you like somebody, you won’t do that.”

“Promise!” Pinta said, throwing out a hasty salute that made his exposed tummy jiggle. Marco just made a face, and Aika laughed. The former street urchin was still in his ‘girls are gross’ phase, and thinking about how Lyndsi had hounded him back home…

“All right. Now, go give Polly a hand cleaning up and then get to bed.” Vyse smiled and waved them off, and the boys grabbed their trays and took off like a shot. The captain of the _Delphinus_ leaned his elbows onto the table and sighed as he let his head sag forward. “Those two were a handful separately. Together, they’re menaces.” 

“They’re children, Vyse.” Fina consoled him. “They’re full of energy and questions and they’re somewhere they feel safe enough to go exploring and getting into mischief. Compared to the life he had before, I think it’s wonderful Marco’s this cheerful.”

“Point.” Vyse breathed, sitting back up again. “Laurence has the night shift at the helm, but we’re anchoring before heading into the Southern Ocean tomorrow. How are we looking for it?”

“Shipshape as we’ll ever be.” Aika said to him. “Are we anticipating any trouble?”

“No Valuan presence in the area, and we were always the only ones crazy enough to brave the Southern Ocean.” Vyse told her. Fina shivered between them, and Vyse reached out and grabbed her free hand before Aika could. She settled for resting her palm on top of both their hands, and then using her other hand to brush Fina’s hair back away from her face while Vyse looked into the Silvite’s scared blue eyes.

“Fina?” Vyse asked her.

Fina drew in a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. “I’m all right.” She said, in a voice that didn’t convince either of them. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”

Fina had pushed herself into a breakdown when they had crossed the Southern Ocean in the _Little Jack_ , too terrified to fall asleep in a storm that never stopped howling and whistling and moaning outside. 

“No, you aren’t.” Aika told her, growling a little. “You’re staying with me tonight. And every night we’re flying through this.”

“In my cabin?” Vyse asked quietly. “I’ll be pulling some night shifts at the helm, we won’t be able to stop and dock anywhere and I’ll have to show Laurence how to fly through this without hitting any wind-blown islands or getting tossed around by the cyclones, but it’s your room as much as it is mine.”

“Maybe.” Aika hedged. “But I think that the nights, Vyse, when you aren’t there? We’ll just stay in my cabin. Or Fina’s.” He nodded, his face placid as he scanned the room again, and the redhead smiled. Moons, she loved this man. He knew that the girls loved each other, had _been_ with each other before he stumbled back into their lives, and was perfectly fine with them taking some time for themselves.

“Not a bad idea.” He conceded. “That bed’s a little too big some nights.” And both Aika and Fina looked to him at that as he smiled back, a touch of sadness in his eyes. 

Moons, he had just told them that he got _lonely_ without them.

“Maybe...maybe you can come stay with us when you’re having trouble sleeping.” Aika offered, and his brown eyes perked up at that. 

“The regular beds aren’t _that_ big.” Fina hummed humorously, looking to Aika before turning to Vyse. “It could be a bit of a tight squeeze.”

Aika looked around the room for a moment, just to check and see if anyone was listening to their conversation. Nobody was; the few crewmembers here in the dining hall were either holding their own conversations or giving the three ranking officers of the _Delphinus_ space to talk alone.

“What a shame.” Aika drawled, letting her eyelashes flutter shut as she sized up Vyse. “Somebody might have to sleep on top.”

Vyse snorted and blushed and went back to his meal, and Fina giggled approvingly as she nodded to Aika. 

“I’m sure that you have a plan for how that will work out.”

Aika did, of course. An alternating plan. Their relationship worked the best when there was compromise, after all.

 

***

 

_Delphinus Bridge_

_Western Entrance to the Southern Ocean_

_149 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


Another wonderful thing about having two other capable engineers was that she could assign them to watch the gauges down below and handle switch-flipping duty next to the massive moonstone steam reactors and the reciprocating engines and serve as their eyes and ears up on the bridge. That it let her stay close to Vyse and Fina was another benefit, but one that she didn’t go around declaring publicly. And this morning was one day where she _absolutely wanted_ to be up on the bridge. They were diving into the Southern Ocean, and both Vyse and Laurence were on duty, with the stoic helmsman gripping the wheel tighter than usual while Vyse stood up next to him and stared out of the bridge’s enormous front viewports to look over the length of the ship and the endless, endless screaming skies beyond. They were on the cusp of entering that jetstream, and all four main propellor shafts were running in reverse at half speed to keep them from going into it while final preparations were made. A low howling moan could be heard even through the ship’s impressive layers of insulation and sealing gaskets around the windows and portholes.

Nobody was paying much attention to anything else besides Vyse, Laurence, and the enormous maelstrom just outside their window. Nobody else saw how close Aika stood to Fina, or how Fina’s hand shook as she reached for Aika’s down beside her waist. Standing side by side, nobody saw how the Silvite grabbed her hand for dear life and leaned into her as though she were an anchor in the storm. Aika knew that Fina likely saw her as exactly that.

“When we flew this before, the wind was in our faces the entire time; just us in a tiny converted wooden ship with an engine built for a ship three times our size. And even with that, progress was slow. Going with the currents, we’re going to have the opposite problem. This ship is going to be flying faster than you’ve ever flown before.” Vyse instructed Laurence. “The trick is going to be riding _with it_ , instead of fighting the currents.”

“I’ve flown through storms before, you know.” Laurence told him waspishly, and winced a little when Vyse just laughed lowly and shook his head.

“Not like this one you haven’t.” He said, and let his face turn serious. He needed Laurence to stop trying to grumble his way through this, Aika knew. “The Southern Ocean is a howling current made by the warm, moist air off of Ixa’taka funneling through the corridor between sky rifts. It goes in one direction and when it hits cold air, you’re not just going to be dealing with gale force winds and islands big enough to hide this ship inside. You’re going to be facing an ocean of typhoons, enormous spinning cyclones of wind and water that extend from the Lower Sky to the Upper Sky, spinning like wild tops without any pattern or direction. It took us over 40 days to fly it going against the headwinds. Flying with them, we’re probably going to clear this in a week, and there won’t be any stops. When you’re not flying this ship, I will be, and I’ll be flying it twice as much as you.”

Vyse’s eyes were hard, and the normally stoic Laurence was actually going pale under the captain’s stare. “If you’re starting to get afraid, good. Fear can be healthy. Fear will keep your senses sharp. Nothing about flying through the Southern Ocean is routine. We have an advantage in that we’re in the best possible ship for it, but inattentiveness can kill anyone. Remember the bet we made when you signed on, Laurence? This is the proving ground. You have a week to prove to me that you’re the better helmsman. Just remember, when you’re at the wheel, you hold the lives of everyone on board this ship in your hands. You hold the fate of the world in them as well, because without us? Arcadia is screwed.”

Laurence wavered, then stepped back away from the telemotor. “You’d better show me how it’s done then, Captain.”

“Giving up the challenge already?” Vyse asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Laurence’s eyes flashed. “I’m not risking the lives of everybody aboard over a challenge. You can keep the 5,000 gold.”

Vyse nodded, and broke out into a much easier smile then as he assumed control of the helm. “I’m proud of you, Laurence. You’ve finally stopped thinking like a mercenary, and started using that...what did you call it? _Sentimental drivel_ for your life choices. You’re absolutely correct, there are things more important than money.”

“Just fly the ship.” Laurence grumbled. “I’ll take the next shift, but talk me through your process.”

Vyse spared a glance back towards Aika and Fina, and Aika felt Fina’s hand squeeze down on hers even tighter. Almost hard enough to make her wince, but Aika resisted, and just gave their lover a stiff nod.

Vyse turned back around and hit the squawk on the speaking tubes to access the whole of the ship. “All hands, prepare your stations. We’re entering the Southern Ocean.”

 

The engines moved from reverse to half-speed ahead as Vyse flicked the EOT and Aika’s Centime trained underlings shifted the mighty engines over to regular rotations. The _Delphinus_ shuddered slightly as it entered the more turbulent air currents, and the noise of the howling winds increased. For a while, anyways. Then they eased off, and the ship’s shuddering...stopped. They were flying _with_ the jetstream now.

The moaning winds that Aika had never forgotten about were still there, lower than before, but never quite going away. Fina’s fingernails dug into Aika’s palm until she made a noise that finally stirred the young woman out of her panic. 

A week of this.

She could do this.

 

***

 

_Fina’s Cabin_

_Evening_

  


Osman caught Aika in the corridor just outside of Fina’s room. They were a hallway down from the captain’s more impressively sized stateroom, and her own cabin was just across the hall from Fina’s, but Aika still felt a jolt of terror at nearly being caught out.

“Careful, my dear! There’s no reason to be so jumpy, it’s just Auntie Osman!” The buxom merchant crowed, tapping the side of her face with her flat paper fan. “Good gracious, what has you so worked up?”

“Just tired and looking forward to getting to bed.” Aika said, not having to fake her fatigue. “Thought I’d check in on Fina first. What did you want, Rabina?”

The older woman’s eyebrows went up from behind her dark-tinted glasses. Aika didn’t usually use her first name, and the woman had caught the slip. “I was just wondering if you had an idea of our progress so far. I have a few crates of goods that I bought up while we were in Ixa’taka...some produce, some native ornamentation and carved wooden masks, grass skirts and the like...and I am hopeful that we’ll arrive in port before the fruit spoils.”

“You didn’t buy them already ripe, I hope?”

“Oh, moons no.” Osman declared. “Any merchant worth their salt knows better than _that_ when you’re dealing with perishables over long distances.”

All things considered, Aika was just glad that Vyse had talked the woman out of trying to export the rare and brilliantly plumed birds that came from the green lands. The cargo holds were busy enough without having to deal with the loud squawks of animals. 

“Vyse thinks we’ll cross the Southern Ocean in a week.” Aika told her coolly. “Add in a couple more days to round the Cape and then we’ll be in Maramban airspace in no time at all. Will that work for your timeline?”

“It should.” Osman nodded. “I’ll have to shuffle some of the plantains around, make sure that the ones turning don’t gas off and spoil the batch too quickly, assuming they play by the same rules as the other fruits I’m used to dealing with. Still, that recipe for fried plantains on a stick was absolutely _divine_ , and…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Aika waved her off. “I’ll take your word for it. Now, would you mind?”

“Oh, of course. My apologies.” Osman said, not sounding apologetic _at all._ “I can understand wanting to check in on the competition.”

“The _what_ now?” Aika stared at her, and Osman just smirked, waved, and waddled off. Aika shook her head, chalked it up to another aspect about the _infuriating woman_ that she would never understand, and then knocked on Fina’s door.

“It’s open.” The faint voice of her friend and lover answered, and Aika walked in, closing it behind her.

The room’s glowing electric lamp was dimmed (And wasn’t that just a brilliant idea, a _dimmer switch_ to make the lightbulbs less bright) and Fina was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing her Ixa’takan nightgown with a cup of something warm and steaming in her hand. Cupil was in his resting form, a silvery puffball lounging on the bed beside her with the world’s cuddliest stuffed doll.

“That better not be coffee.” Aika warned her as she reached up to her pigtails and started to pull the bands that held them up and off to the sides. 

Fina glanced up, a pale smile on her face, and shook her head. “No. Just herbal tea. Polly insisted it would help me sleep.”

Aika sighed as the first of her pigtails gave out, and the long red hair cascaded down behind her head and her back. “No luck?”

“It...It helps. A little.” Fina muttered, looking down at the floor. “My heart isn’t racing so much.”

It had probably been racing all day, Aika knew. Her heart ached to see her friend, who was soft and shy and demure, turned that way not because of practice but because of the terror she was likely feeling. A girl who had grown up never having to deal with storms or thunder or howling winds, thrust into them all over again.

The other pigtail gave out and all of Aika’s hair fell behind her, a curtain of red that made Fina look up in appreciation. It stirred Aika’s heart a little as she looked down at the other girl--woman--and smiled. Fina had fuller, more perfect breasts than she did. Aika had hair that made Fina jealous. They needed something to tease the other about.

She went over and sat down beside Fina, reaching for her hand and holding it gently until Fina meshed their fingers together and squeezed harder. “It’s not going to be another 40 days.” Aika reminded the Silvite. “A week. You can endure a week of this.”

Fina breathed in and out, the pace of it measured and controlled. “I know.” She said back. “I know I can. But...It’s going to take a while to convince my body of that. I’m glad that you’re here.”

“I’ll always be here.” Aika reminded her, leaning over and kissing the girl on the cheek. “I can’t sleep any easier without you, remember?” Fina leaned into her side on instinct after that, and squeezed her hand extra-tight for just a second.

“I love you.” Fina breathed out, tucking her head against Aika’s shoulder, and a lump settled in the redhead’s throat. Just hearing those words…

“I know.” Aika whispered back. “I know.”

 

She changed out of her usual outfit and into a nightgown that Fina had been thoughtful enough to grab from her room earlier, and if Fina’s hands wandered over her hips or her breasts a little as she helped Aika to get her clothes off and slide it on, the redhead didn’t have much reason or desire to complain about it. They had about three good kisses in the process, and each of them didn’t have much of the pulsing heat that could set their blood blazing as much as a feeling of warmth and belonging and wholeness. 

They settled into Fina’s bed, Aika spooned up behind the Silvite with Cupil cuddled in the blonde girl’s arms and Aika’s arms wrapped over her abdomen. 

“You don’t need Cupil to be earmuffs?” Aika yawned, finding the cool bed quickly warming with their shared heat. They could hear some of the howling of the wind outside their porthole, well-insulated though it was, the current just a _little_ faster than the ship. They were taking the opening leg slower at night, because of the risk of smaller islands showing up as obstacles. 

Fina’s head swiveled back and forth, and then it turned so her ear pressed into the valley between Aika’s breasts. “I just need this.” The Silvite mumbled unapologetically. “I just need to hear you.” She was drowning out the wind with the sound of Aika’s heartbeat, and that thought made Aika’s pulse quicken for a short time. She pulled the blanket up and over them a little more in response.

Her eyes fluttered shut as they fell into a cycle of shared, easy breathing, and Aika was almost asleep when Fina’s soft voice cut through the silence of their bedroom.

“I fell in love with you then.”

“What? When?” Aika asked, not bothering to open her eyes.

“The first night you climbed into my bed and held me so I could sleep.” Fina answered her, yawning. “And every night after, I fell in love with you a little bit more.”

Aika thought about that for a period of time she couldn’t count off. And then she remembered the very first night that they’d cleared the Southern Ocean, and she couldn’t sleep for the lack of noise. She remembered how Fina had looked at her for a long time before telling her to scoot over. How they had stared into each other’s eyes, Aika in confusion and Fina with something unknowable before Fina had kissed her forehead. “Before…” Aika tried to stay, and the words stuck in her throat as the memory and _the truth behind that first, soft, gentle kiss_ was revealed at last.

“Before Vyse.” Fina hummed in agreement. “Before I knew I loved him...I knew I loved you.”

There were no words for how that made Aika feel, or for how she didn’t care that her eyes teared up. She just held Fina tighter, felt the softness of Fina’s belly through the fabric of her nightgown, brought a hand up until she could rest her palm over the Silvite’s beating heart and stroke the side of a breast that rose and fell with every breath and soft sigh of approval.

“I love you.” She whispered the words into Fina’s sweet-smelling hair, the only words that mattered.

They fell asleep, and the winds outside didn’t matter.

 

***

 

_The Southern Ocean_

_152 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


The engines, to Aika’s surprise and satisfaction, were handling the constant use rather well. Of course, they were flying _with_ the air currents instead of headfirst into them, and the reciprocating engines of the _Delphinus_ were, after the refit, terrifying beasts that they weren’t pushing at maximum output. They hadn’t gone above three quarters flank speed in the course of the crossing yet, and with her, Hans and Lapen all able to handle shifts and monitor the lubrication and temperature gauges of the machinery, no worrisome mistakes were being committed by anyone for lack of sleep. They kept up a massive chalkboard laid out with a grid for dates, specific 4 hour increments, and the six sections of the reactor piping, turbines, reciprocating engines and propellor shafts most likely to suffer overheating and fatigue and failure. 

The _Delphinus_ was a marvel of modern engineering, able to even seal off the interior compartments and pressurize them at standard atmosphere for the rare occasions the ship flew to the edges of its rated Central Sky altitude highs and lows. One thing that it didn’t have effectively, though, was heating that could completely keep up with the demands of the interior atmosphere, which was what allowed Aika to pick up on when the current flowing off from the bitter cold sky rifts to the south of the Southern Ocean started to overwhelm the weakening flow of warm air from Ixa’taka to the far west, Lunaleagues away. Everything inside the ship got a little bit chillier, and the crewmembers who had never felt a cold day in their life suffered the worst as they started throwing on layer after layer of extra clothing. Tikatika the lookout and Merida the dancer were the most prominent examples, but even Osman took on an appearance that made Fina giggle and remark privately to Aika afterwards that she looked like a ‘walrus.’ Whatever kind of creature that was. Khazim, on the other hand, didn’t even bother putting on a proper shirt. He insisted on going bare-barrel chested as a point of pride.

The cold air immediately had Vyse on edge and spending more time on the bridge than his shift would usually call for. And Fina, who had been burning off her nervous energy being anywhere and everywhere on the ship from running food to people who couldn’t leave their stations to taking shifts learning basic first aid and non-magical medical treatments with ‘Uncle Ilchymis’ was spending more time up on the bridge keeping an eye on him. 

So when Fina came down into the engine room with a _look_ on her face, Aika didn’t waste time asking ridiculous questions about the obvious. She just stepped away from the section of secondary piping she’d been tightening up, stuck a pair of fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly enough to get the attention of Hans, standing a fair distance away next to the main steam fittings and recording down the gauge readouts. Hans about jumped out of his skin as he looked over, glaring at her, and Aika didn’t bother looking sheepish. She just met his stare head-on until he wilted and realized she had a reason for getting his attention, and then Aika gestured to her work and mouthed the words, _finish up for me._  

Not wasting another second on him, glaring up a storm as she headed for the stairs and the elevator that would take them to the next deck up with Fina hot on her heels, Aika tried to calm herself down. It didn’t work, and once the doors closed on them, she swore and slammed a fist into the side of the elevator wall.

“How bad is it?” Aika growled out, once she was done fuming. 

“He is refusing to leave the wheel and I’m refusing to give him any more coffee.” Fina said, bringing the main problem up very succinctly. 

“You? Not giving him coffee?”

“Coffee is never supposed to take the place of sleep.” Fina muttered. “And I doubt he’s slept any in the past two days. He’s worried, Aika. Really, _really_ worried.”

“Laurence can…”

“He doesn’t think that he can.” Fina cut her off. “He’s taking two shifts at the wheel for every one that Laurence does. We need another helmsman and Navigator. It’s bad enough that even _Enrique_ is asking for lessons, even though he’s nowhere near ready enough to navigate the storms.”

“...Shit. We’re in Typhoon Alley now, aren’t we?”

“Coming up on it.” The Silvite nodded. The elevator hummed as it slowed down and jostled slightly when it came to a stop. “I...I was hoping you knew what to do. Because I’ve tried begging with him and trying to sweet talk him around to letting Laurence take a longer shift, and _nothing_ is getting through that skull of his.”

The elevator doors opened and Aika snorted as they stepped off, sweeping by Marco who stumbled out of the way with a mop in one hand as he hastily threw a salute that Aika didn’t bother acknowledging with anything more than a half-hearted wave. “He can be a real _jerk_ sometimes when he gets his dander up. Stubborn as a Dhabu. If he isn’t listening to sweet little you telling him to take a break…” Aika’s footsteps slowed a bit, and she exhaled. “Right. How’s your training going with Ilchymis?”

“Um. Fairly well.”

“You have medical privileges, right?”

“I can revive the dead. Yes.” Fina said, a talent that Aika was intimately familiar with. One close call at the hands of Piastol had been enough, thank you _very_ much. 

“Good. Because you’re about to invoke physician’s privilege.”

 

The walk up to the bridge didn’t take nearly as long as Aika thought it might, and when they stood in the hatch and saw Vyse at the wheel with a row of typhoons spinning wildly in the wide open span before them, her heart stuttered a bit before she wrestled control of it. Enrique’s head shot up as he noticed their presence, and he looked from them to Vyse and then back again with his eyes wide open. Pleading.

Well, if _that_ didn’t immediately give Aika reason to full-on scowl again. She stormed past Enrique and Tikatika and Domingo, startling the explorer and navigator, before coming to a stop behind Vyse.

“Captain.” Aika bit the title out. Vyse flinched a little and looked back, then relaxed a hair and nodded.

“Aika. Everything okay in the engine room?” 

“Everything’s fine down belowdecks, captain.” She waited two beats. “You don’t look too good, though.”

His face hardened up. “I’m fine, Aika. Just have a lot of sailing to do yet, is all. We’re entering typhoon alley.”

He wasn’t fine. The bags under his eyes were very pronounced, and there was a tremor in his hands. He was wobbling slightly, even.

“Vyse. When’s the last time you slept?”

“I was off-duty six hours ago.”

“Yeah, not what I asked.” She countered, crossing her arms. “When. Did you. Sleep. Last.”

Vyse’s face went from a mask to a scowl. “I’m fine.”

“The hell you are. Enrique? Go wake up Laurence, or if he is awake, drag his ass up here. Domingo? Take the wheel. I’m relieving Captain Vyse of command until he gets a full eight hours of shut-eye and some proper food and downtime.”

“Under what authority?” Vyse demanded, and everyone on the bridge tensed up at that. “Aika, don’t do this…”

“Under medical authority.” Fina cut in, and her voice was steel wrapped in silk as she glided forward, assessing him. “Heart palpitations. Erratic pulse. Balance is off. Tremors. You’re in no shape to pilot a ship right now, Vyse, not when we have alternatives. I can get Ilchymis to come up here and diagnose you himself as the ranking medical officer, or you can stop being such an _ass_ about this and come quietly. This is _not_ a mutiny. You will retake command of this ship once you finally get some sleep.” She stepped into his personal space and went up on her toes, pressing her forehead against his and closing her eyes. “All right?”

She could sense him working through it, feel how the skin of his forehead shifted as he clenched his jaw tight.

When he accepted the verdict, he nearly collapsed against her as whatever tension he’d used to coil himself up and keep going started to give out.

“Shit! Vyse!” Aika yelled, running to them as Fina struggled to hold him up. “Domingo! Take the wheel!”

“On it, boss!” Domingo yelped, quickly leaping over and grabbing the telemotor before the winds could whip the ship around too badly. “Damn, it’s fighting me.” He gasped, shifting into position to grab it with both hands. 

Aika put it out of her mind, all of her focus solely on Vyse as she took one side of him while Fina grabbed the other. Enrique trundled up to stand in front of them, and Aika waved him off.

“It’s okay, Enrique. We’ve got him.”

“Is he going to…”

“I’m _fine.”_ Vyse slurred.

“The hell you are.” Aika repeated. “Enrique, you have the bridge. Domingo’s helmsman until Laurence gets up here. You’re going to want to set a course northwest for a while, then switch for straight north. You get too close to a cyclone and it starts to draw us in, you tell Laurence to fly into it just enough to catch the outer edge and whip _around_ it.” Her brown eyes bored into the prince’s. “You remember all of that?”

Enrique’s head bobbed up and down rapidly. “Yes, ma’am.” He answered her. “We’ll take care of things here. And...you’ll take care of the captain?” The prince asked hopefully, the lift of his eyebrows perhaps just a little too...suggestive? Of what?

“Of course we will.” Aika told him roughly, and then she and Fina guided Vyse off of the bridge, down the hall to the stairs, and to the next deck down where the captain’s quarters were located.

“This is mutiny.” Vyse mumbled, sweating wildly now that they were off the bridge. Like his body had decided it finally could. “Mutiny. You two, bossing me around…”

“We’re always bossing you around.” Fina reminded him dryly. “You’re not usually this much of a prick about it.”

“Where’d you learn that word?” Aika muttered softly. Fina just smiled.

“It’s a big ship.” she provided, which was a non-answer if ever there was one.

They forced Vyse down to sit on the edge of the bed, where he sat breathing unevenly and looking at them through glassy, slightly unfocused eyes.

“I’ve tried sleeping. I’ve _tried._ I can’t, I just...I can’t.” Vyse muttered, looking between the two of them. “Bed’s always too empty, too quiet. And the ship needs me. If I’m not there, we could end up wrecked. This ocean, it...it’s dangerous. That we made it through the first time was a miracle. Sure, flying’s easier, but we’re going so fast, so fast that if something goes wrong, we’ll barely have time to react, and Laurence doesn’t…”

“Laurence will be _fine_.” Aika cut him off. “You’ve been showing him how to fly this Ocean for days now. He knows how serious he needs to take this. He’s a member of your crew, he took the Oath. Are you telling me that you don’t trust him? That you don’t trust a fellow Blue Rogue?”

Vyse slumped under her withering questions. “I...you’re right. No, I trust him. It’s just...Everyone’s counting on me.”

The two girls sat beside him, squeezing him in the middle, and Fina brought a cool washcloth up from where she’d grabbed it off of his washstand to wipe the sweat off of his face.

“You’re no good to anybody if you’re too exhausted to be the captain properly. You need to sleep.” Fina told him sadly.

“I can’t!” Vyse snapped. “I tried, I really did, but…”

Aika caught on first, and wrapped her hand around his jaw, turning him around to look at her. “Why didn’t you come to us?” She demanded. “We _told_ you, if you had trouble sleeping…”

Vyse looked ashamed. “I did. The first night. But you two looked...you were so peaceful together. So beautiful. I didn’t want to wake you up. I didn’t belong there, crowding that bed. I know how you struggled with the Southern Ocean, Fina. I know how it was only staying with Aika that helped you get through it. She helps you sleep through this. You…”

Vyse closed his eyes. “You didn’t need me.”

 

There were some days that Aika wanted to scream at this man, who could be so wonderful and thoughtful and then could turn around and just do and say the _dumbest things_ she’d ever heard. She settled for an angry grunt and for shoving him back against the bed.

“I need you.” Aika hissed, crawling over him and pinning his arms to the bed. She straddled his chest with her hips before leaning down and branding his mouth with a blistering kiss. “Moons, you are so _stupid_ sometimes. I need you, and Fina needs you, and this ship needs its captain. You thought we would turn you down? That we’d kick you out of our bed and tell you to sleep alone? That we didn’t want you crawling in and crowding us? That we don’t want that, always?”

Fina was up beside the both of them then, kissing Vyse when Aika pulled back up and away, then kissing Aika’s cheek in turn. “The most important rule, Vyse; you have to _talk_ to us about these things. How can we fix them if you don’t tell us what’s wrong? Aika’s right. Yes, I love her, and being held by her, and listening to her heartbeat helps me to sleep and not be so on edge in this...this constant sea of storms. But I love you too, and I wanted...I _needed_ to feel you too. I need the both of you. You never worried about us being together before and feeling like you were being left out, why are you so worried about this now?”

Vyse let out a sob, and his red eyes were so strung out as he finally collapsed. “You don’t know how perfect you looked, sleeping there. You belonged together.”

“You foolish, _foolish_ man.” Fina uttered, kissing him again. “You don’t think that’s what I see when you claim Aika and cradle her against you? Or what she sees when you make love to me and wrap your arms around me?” She pulled back and smiled and looked down on him, and Aika glanced between her man and her woman with dawning recognition.

Her girl was so _smart_ about the things that really mattered. 

“So. What are you going to do the next time you look in on us and you see us sleeping, and can’t sleep without us?” Fina purred.

Vyse chuckled once and pulled off his goggle, wiping at his eyes. “Climb into bed with you and tell you to make room.”

“Good.” Fina leaned down and kissed him again, and this time he returned it, making Aika smile. The Silvite sat back up and nodded. “Now. Sleep.”

Vyse laughed at that. “Can’t sleep. Still...too awake. Nervous energy. I’m tired, but…”

Aika pressed a finger to his lips. “We’re going to have to make you sleep, then.”

“Yeah?” Vyse said, his brown eyes darkening. “How?”

Fina caught on and reached for the clasp on her dress as Aika started to unlace her leather armor behind her back.

“We’re just going to have to wear you out.” Fina hummed, as the seal on her dress hissed and the fabric slipped away from her body.

It took the both of them working in tandem, and Vyse was a little rougher than usual, but neither of them really felt like complaining. And afterwards, Vyse finally got the sleep he needed, and they got their man back.

 

***

 

_Delphinus Training Gym_

_155 Days After the (First) Grand Fortress Escape_

  


Being designed as a Valuan military ship, it wasn’t to anyone’s surprise that there were facilities set up for sparring and physical training. There were racks of free weights bolted to the floor and wall to hold them steady during maneuvers, and the weights were held down by woven steel cords with a padlock when not in use. There were even a few rowing machines. But the main draw, unsurprisingly, were the racks of blunted swords and wooden practice weapons, where Enrique and Vyse often trained when the ship was in flight and the foredeck was unavailable. Given that they were still flying through the Southern Ocean’s ‘Typhoon Alley’ and that stepping outside was tantamount to suicide, the room had gotten quite a lot of use from nearly every member of the crew when they weren’t on duty.

Aika mainly used the running track that circled the gym when she was alone, saving the weightlifting and the abdominals and leg weights for when she had Fina exercising with her. She’d been running for, according to the clock on the wall, a good half-hour, and had worked up quite a sweat. Two more laps, she told herself silently as she kept to her controlled breathing. Two more laps and she’d be able to grab a towel and hit the showers.

Showers. Something else that the Valuans thought to install on this ship, and there was even a small water treatment plant to reclaim what got used in cooking and the showers for use in the ‘grey water’ supply for the toilets or, with enough filtration, for another run through the showers again. The ship’s water mains ran on a completely different circuit from the pipes that ran the steam turbines, but they drew heat off of the moonstone reactors also.

There were communal showers of course, which they had quickly divided by gender, but the captain’s stateroom not only had its own toilet, but its own private shower stall as well. She’d gotten too used to the luxury of it, but she didn’t have time to walk all the way up to Vyse’s stateroom in her sweat-through training clothes with a towel around her neck. So, the gym’s communal female showers it was then.

One more lap. And…

And Enrique pulled up alongside her, wearing his usual uniform along with his trademark beret. “Hello, Miss Aika.” He greeted her cheerfully. “Mind if I join you for a run?”

“Almost...done.” Aika huffed out, slowing just enough so the prince could keep pace with her. “What did...you need?” Her legs had a great burn going for them and her heart rate felt relaxed. A good time to stop.

She wasn’t paying much attention to him, not really, and had both eyes forward to the part of the track she’d mentally marked off as her stopping point.

“I...Well. How are things going with Vyse?” He finally asked, after he stopped woolgathering.

“Fine.” Aika grunted out, and allowed herself to slow up and then finally come to a stop when she reached her mark. Not that she stopped completely; she started walking around in a slow circle, giving her legs a chance to cool down so the muscles in her thighs and calves wouldn’t cramp on her. “He’s doing a lot better now that he’s not manning the helm as often and actually _getting some sleep,_ so I might not need to kill him now.”

“Kill hi...oh.” Enrique blinked rapidly. “A joke?”

Aika toweled herself off as best as she could. “Yes, Enrique. A joke.” She answered him. “I’d never hurt him. Punch him in the arm occasionally if he’s being an idiot, but never hurt him.”

“So you...still care for him.”

“When did I ever _not_ care about Vyse?” Aika asked, confused. She turned and watched Enrique as the exiled prince floundered, his eyes darting here and there and his arms flailing. 

“Um, that is, I, er…” Enrique finally stopped hemming and hawing and shrunk in on himself a little. “Miss Aika. I know that you and Captain Vyse are _close_ , seeing as you kissed him and he called you ‘My Aika’ when we made port on Sailor’s Isle.”

“Yes?” Aika said, raising an eyebrow. 

Enrique looked guilty, and a little irate, like something had morally offended him. “Apparently, Miss Fina was seen down in the ship’s laundry a couple days ago, washing out the bedsheets from the captain’s stateroom.”

“Oh.” Aika relaxed and shrugged. Considering how messy they’d all _gotten_ those sheets...She blushed a little and smiled as she looked down and away. “Fina had some free time, and volunteered to take care of it for him. It was awfully thoughtful of her.”

Enrique stared at her, and Aika leaned away from him, a little unsettled. “Is something wrong, Enrique?”

“I...You, but she…” The prince stammered, stopping himself again and taking in a calming breath. 

“Are you feeling all right?” Aika asked carefully. 

“I am very confused. I...Never mind.”

Aika shrugged and dismissed whatever his business was. “Well, okay. If you figure out what you were trying to say, come and find me. I’m hitting the showers and then I’m getting back to work.”

“Yes. Of course.” Enrique nodded. “You know that I care about you a great deal, Aika. As a friend.”

“Of course I do.”

“I...I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” He mumbled.

Aika snorted. “It’s just exercise, Enrique. I wasn’t running a marathon.” She slapped him on the back as she walked past him, and headed for the showers. She was due up on the bridge at the top of the next bell, and more importantly, she wanted to be there. Today was the day that they were going to clear Typhoon Alley.

 

***

 

_Bridge_

_3 Hours Later_

  


The transition out of the Southern Ocean and into Nasrian airspace was a gradual thing, and it wasn’t until they could make out the southern cape that anyone breathed a sigh of relief. The barest hint of a faint haze to the east beyond it marked the World’s End sky rift; the only sky rift that Mid-Ocean ships had ever been able to penetrate with any success, and where the rusted and abandoned boomtown of Esperanza was said to be found.

They cheered when sands were blown by the winds across the deck, and Aika watched as Vyse settled back in the captain’s chair with a sigh of relief. “Mark the time and date in the ship’s log.” He ordered, and the mercenary Laurence looked back at him from the telemotor. Vyse grinned at the older man. “We have successfully navigated the Southern Ocean, flying with the currents. In six days’ time. Well done, all of you.” Vyse beamed at his bridge crew with swelling pride, then clapped his hands together. “Enrique. Confer with Domingo and set a course for Maramba. Laurence, you have the helm.”

“Aye, captain.” Laurence said, for once missing his trademark scowl. He shifted in place a little, though. “Captain? Are you sure you don’t want a turn at the helm?”

Aika held her breath at that, wondering how Vyse would respond. He loved flying, and the _Delphinus_ was a dream to handle. In their journey through the storm, he’d stayed at the helm, stayed in control for too long and worn himself too thin. It wasn’t like him to be so wound up, but he hadn’t stayed that way. Not after she and Fina got through with him.

This Vyse...This Vyse is just how she remembers him. Calm and composed, and flirty and jocular when the mood suits. He smirked at Laurence’s question and stood up, setting a hand to his belt. “Laurence, I trust you to fly my ship. Besides, I’m the captain. I’ve got better things to be worrying about.” The soft chuckles that garnered penetrated the room, and Vyse winked and waved. “Get us to Maramba. We’ve got shore leave waiting for us there.”

“Aye-aye, captain.” Laurence chuckled, and resumed his station. Vyse headed out the door, and Aika and Fina followed him out, staying quiet until they were in the corridor. 

“You’re such an ass.” Aika teased him, bumping his hip with hers while Fina giggled from his other side.

Vyse laughed at the assertion, and made to turn for the galley and dining room. “So you’ve said, Aika. But Laurence can handle it. He’s a good pilot.”

“Doesn’t make you any less of an ass some days.” Aika sighed, looking over to Fina. “You ever wonder why we put up with him, Fina?”

Fina put a finger to her chin, as if thinking very hard about the question. “Is it because we love him?” She asked, her voice too innocent-sounding to be innocent. 

And damn if Vyse didn’t pout and look between them like he expected them to kick poor Pow.

“Yeah. I suppose we do.” Aika smiled, and leaned into his side, while Fina mirrored the move. 

Vyse’s hands came around both their shoulders and held them close until they reached the next bulkhead door.

 

***

 

_Maramba_

_Evening_

  


Maramba’s port facilities were even smaller than Nasrad’s, as the bulk of major shipping through Nasr had always gone through the South Danel Strait. But with Nasrad still in shambles and the process of rebuilding being one that would take a very long time to accomplish, there were signs that Maramba was quickly becoming ascendant as Nasr’s new center of trade. There were certainly more ships about than there were last time, and the Sailor’s Guild office was full of foot traffic. The news of the defeat of the Ixa’ness Demons earned them a handsome sum of money, a good third of which went immediately to paying crew salaries, and then the _Delphinus_ crew scattered to the winds, intent on spending it hard and fast.

Aika, Vyse, and Fina went with Osman long enough to visit the shipwright’s store and turn the woman’s prodigious talents at bartering to work in getting them the best deal possible for additional ship’s stores. Afterwards, they set her loose to make her trades with the local merchants and sailors, and Aika had no doubt that the canny businesswoman would be fleecing them for as much as she could. She was a member of Vyse’s crew, but the five percent commission written into her contract (Because of course _Osman_ bothered with a contract unlike everyone else) gave the rotund spectacled trader reason to up her prices as much as the market would allow. It was a little too mercenary for Aika’s tastes, but given that the bulk of the profits would immediately go into the ship coffers for needed supplies and incidental expenses, it was one she forced herself to live with. 

Vyse had calmed down quite a lot since she and Fina had held a much needed talk with him, and the trust in his crew had been shining brightly ever since. His crew, in turn, responded with equal trust and loyalty. Somewhere over the course of the Southern Ocean, when Fina cleaved to Aika for support and they both realized Vyse needed the same, something shifted in him that was, if not broken and in need of a repair, at least misaligned. Misunderstood.

Misunderstood no longer, and he was once more the man who held half of her heart, who sailed an unfurled flag of blue, who inspired loyalty and audacity and resistance.

“Where are we going, Vyse?” She asked him, as they strolled up the steps away from Maramba’s harbor and towards the city itself. 

“First, to see an old friend. And then, I think, I owe my ladies a drink.” He replied, calm and smiling. 

Rupee Larso was thriving in his new career as an apprentice carpet weaver under his mother’s guidance. The young boy in glasses adjusted his turban and beamed brightly to see the three again, and was more than happy to give them a deal for some proper rugs. “It’s the talk of the whole town. Your ship is _enormous_ and did you really steal it from the Valuans?” He asked eagerly.

“Stole it. Broke out of the Grand Fortress. Blew a hole clean through it.” Vyse winked at the lad. “Of course, it needed a little work. It used to be painted purple, can you believe that? Purple?” 

“That is _definitely_ not your color, Mister Vyse.” Rupee pouted a little, and in that honest grimacing expression, Aika could see how right they had been to encourage his passions in a less _organized crime_ direction. He would never have been the thug that his father apparently had been, that Barta tried to coax him into becoming. The boy tapped a finger thoughtfully to his chin and nodded again. “Hm. I’m thinking...yes. Momma?” 

The middle-aged woman running the shop glanced over from her loom, nodding at her boy. “Something your friends need, Rupee?”

“Momma, do we still have that blue and silver diamond weave carpet back in the storeroom?”

“I think so. Nobody’s been all that interested in it; the red and gold designs sell so much better.”

Rupee made a face at that, then gestured for the three to follow him. They made their way back to the storeroom, and once Rupee lit the room’s gas lamp, he motioned to a corner where a long rack bolted to the wall was kept covered by a dustcloth. “Middle shelf, second from the front.” He told them, and Vyse and Aika went over and retrieved the roll of heavy fabric, bringing it into the middle of the space. Rupee unrolled just enough of it for the pattern to become visible, and adjusted his turban. “There, see? Silver diamonds on a blue background. I actually finished this one up last month, but...well. You heard my mom. No buyers for it.” The boy smiled and pulled off his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. 

It was beautiful, and warm, and was _definitely not_ in the usual Nasrian style. Fina made a noise somewhere between dismay and approval and pressed a hand to her mouth, while Vyse just nodded appreciatively from his end of the roll.

Aika sighed, realizing she would need to talk for them all again. “I think we’d love to buy this one from you, little Rupee.”

“You would?!” The boy exclaimed brightly. “Oh, jeepers, that’d be terrific! It’ll be my very first sale that’s all my own work!”

“Then we’re paying full price for it.” Vyse decided, chuckling. “No friends and family discount for your first sale, okay?”

“I...If you insist.” Rupee said, coming down from his high. “But it doesn’t feel right. Can I give you something else as a gift then?”

“You have another one of these carpets lying around?” Aika asked him.

“No. But I have something else.” Rupee hinted slowly. He put a hand to his mouth and shouted. “Barta!” 

All three of them jumped a little when the massive bear of a man who had fought them alongside Rupee came lumbering into the storehouse, still wearing the same goggles and sporting the same braid behind his head that he’d had almost half a year ago. Barta stared at them all for about three very uncomfortable seconds before turning to address the boy.

“You called for me, little master?”

“Yes, Barta. I’m selling a carpet to our friends here. Could you wrap it up and make arrangements to have it delivered to their ship? When are you departing, Vyse?”

“Tomorrow. Mid-morning.” Vyse told him. Barta grunted in reply and took the roll of rug from them, using one arm only, and marched off with it.

Aika waited until he was gone to pepper Rupee with the question she could see sitting high on their minds. “So. Barta’s still with you?”

“They all are. The whole clan.” Rupee shrugged. “I mean, I told them that they didn’t have to, that they could go keep doing...well, the pirate-y things that my father did if they still wanted to, but Barta about fell apart crying. I didn’t have the heart to send them away. So, now they run our deliveries and do most of the heavy lifting.” 

It was ridiculous to think of a hardened crew of Nasrian sky pirates just _walking away_ from their lifelong careers to lug fabric and finished woven rugs and carpets around, and yet that was exactly what happened.

Aika lasted five seconds before she broke down laughing herself sore. Vyse and Fina only made it to six. 

 

Afterwards, Rupee invited them up to the apartments that he and his mother shared above the workshop, and poured them a steaming cup of spiced tea in a small kitchen full of the aroma of coriander and garlic and smoked tubers. They sat and drank while Rupee excused himself, and when he came back, he was carrying a broad hat-box in his arms.

The boy set it down in the middle of the table, popped the lid off of it, and then stepped back. Vyse leaned over and peered inside, then reached a hand in and came back out with an impressive black tricorn hat-lined with deep blue felt and tipped at the corners with satin of a bolder, sky-colored blue and sunset red.

“This was my father’s.” Rupee explained, while Vyse held the hat aloft and turned it about to see it from every angle. “He always said it was older than it looked.”

True, the tricorn hat was very much outdated; The style had been popular a century and a half, two centuries ago. But this hat, for all the wear and use it had seen and carried, with the faint traces of gunsmoke and moonstone powder that clung to it, was in very good condition.

“You’re giving me your father’s hat.” Vyse said, sounding distant and more than a little surprised. “Why? Rupee, shouldn’t you wear it?”

“My father was a warrior. He came from a line of them.” Rupee shrugged. “Supposedly, an ancestor of ours even fought and sailed with Daccat himself. But I’m not a warrior, so...I think it should go to someone who will use it.” 

Vyse nodded, and Fina reached a hand over and plucked the hat from him, her arm lined in silver light. She startled a little and stared at the hat with wondering eyes.

“This hat has...some very, _very_ powerful Workings placed on it.” Fina explained to them all. “Beyond ones that keep it protected and in good shape...Moons. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of  clothing so steeped in power.” The glow in her arm and in the thin ring behind her eyes dropped out, and she turned to look at Rupee. “How...where did…”

Rupee made a face and looked away. “I didn’t know about the magic. I just remember that my dad always wore it when he went out on missions. He used to boast that ‘the power of our ancestors’ flowed through it. That the strength of those who wore it before us carried on.”

Fina nodded, handing the hat back to Vyse. “There is a very strong imprint of spiritual power in it, Vyse. I think...I think if you wore it, you would feel a difference.”

Vyse fingered the hat for a few more seconds, then slipped it on. He shivered a bit as it settled in around his brow, then ran a finger along the leading edge of the three-cornered hat.

And then the lovable goof had the gall to grin and wink at them. “Well? How do I look? More handsome than usual?”

Fina giggled, and Aika sighed and covered her face with her hands. “Rupee, you’ve turned him into a monster.”

Rupee laughed a little. “Well, he _is_ a pirate, after all.”

“Sometimes.” Vyse allowed, taking the hat back off and setting it in its box. “The rest of the time, I’m happy just to be a rogue. Thank you, Rupee. We will put it to good use.”

Rupee gave them all a smile. “I know you will. You’re fighting for all the right reasons, from the rumors going around about you.” He bowed, they finished their tea, and then walked back out into the rapidly cooling Maramba night.

Vyse breathed, hatbox tucked under his arm, and smirked once they were outside. “Okay. _Now_ we can go get that drink.”

 

***

 

The tavern Vyse took them to required a Dhabu ride across the still warm sands from the main portion of the settlement to one further inland along a winding trail marked off by posts with windswept and ragged swaths of red cloth tied to them. 

It was full of memories; the last time they had been here, the three of them had been trying to figure out their options in the aftermath of being marooned by Drachma. It was the same tavern where Admiral Belleza, in disguise and in character as an exotic dancer from Nasrad, had first tried to work her wiles on Vyse and ‘offer her help’ to them, just so she could have them do the work of retrieving the Moonstone Crystal for her.

Those memories were sifted, brought up, reviewed, and then cast away in moments as the three of them realized that fully half of their current crew was all packed away inside, singing sailor’s songs and getting well and truly blazed. The three of them stayed in the stifling warmth of red faces and sweaty bodies for exactly two rounds of ale and one retelling of the First Grand Fortress Escape (Marco needed no help in telling, and slightly embellishing, the story of their first escape with Enrique there to support his claims) before they waved off any additional offered drinks, citing a need for the most senior officers of the _Delphinus_ to stay somewhat clear-headed, and stepped back out into the night with a wave of well-wishing noise following them until they closed the doors. 

Vyse breathed out loudly and shook his head. “Forgot that part.” He admitted.

“That sailors love to drink?” Aika offered wryly.

“That sailors love to try to get _me_ to drink.” Vyse muttered. “That’s a good thing about being their captain; I can tell them no when I’ve had enough.”

Fina hummed, then glanced across the street from the tavern to a rounded stone hut built in the style of a tent, and sporting heavy and brightly covered fabrics over the entryway. A sign out in front of it declared it proudly as “Mistress Kalifa’s Domain: Fortunes Told.”

“I remember that.” Fina hummed. She nudged Vyse’s arms. “Remember when we went to see her?”

“I remember being cajoled into it.” Vyse said flatly. “But her fortune was very non-specific. Like most fortunes.”

“ _Mind the currents, you cannot fight them forever._ ” Fina repeated in a solemn voice. “You see me work magic almost every day, Vyse.”

“What she does isn’t magic.” Vyse argued.

“Isn’t it?” Fina pressed. “Come on. The least we could do is check in with her.”

 

The hut was as dimly lit and smelled strongly of potpourri as Vyse remembered it from what seemed like a lifetime ago. Kalifa herself was a woman who appeared to be in her 20’s, and dressed in functional and revealing garments that hugged her curves. She sat cross-legged behind the low table in her front parlor, a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a long-handled tobacco pipe curling wisps of smoke into the air in the other...though the smell coming from it was not the usual harsh scent Vyse associated with the smokers across Mid-Ocean. 

Eyes hidden behind thick glasses, Kalifa stirred to wakefulness as they approached and sat down at the round table in a line across from her. Her long brown hair fell down to the bottom of her ribs across her torso, and she quirked her mouth into a little half-smile before taking another long puff on her pipe. She breathed out the smoke into the air above their heads, adding to the room’s thick haze, and set the tea mug down so she could stretch her pale, barely sun-touched arms above her head, languoring much like a cat would after a nap.

“The three return.” Kalifa mused, cocking her head to the side as she took in the sight of them. “Weathered by storms and torrents. Yet I sense newfound strength and resolve in you.” She reached for her mug of tea and nodded. “Greetings, children of the silver moon.”

Vyse blinked. “Uh. Huh.” He said, flatter and slower than usual. 

“Did you mind the currents?” Kalifa asked him, not bothering with further platitudes. 

 

“What currents?” Vyse demanded. “This is why I don’t take fortunetellers seriously, everything you say is so non-specific so people leave thinking you told them exactly what they needed to hear, and…”

Aika hissed and slapped him in the arm. “Vyse, you’re being rude!” Which did get him to settle down and look a little apologetic.

Kalifa shook her head. “The currents around you three. They swirled and clashed before.” She took another puff on her pipe. “They flow together now.”

Aika felt a thump in her chest at the words, and stared hard at the woman. Did Kalifa...did she know?

Fina didn’t even ask it silently. “How did you know?” The Silvite asked the fortuneteller. “About us?”

Kalifa shrugged. “I can be mysterious, but really, I saw how you both looked at him the moment you came inside back then. And I see how you sit now, how you place him between you, but hold hands behind his back and think that I would not notice.”

Aika jumped a little, and realized that she had in fact grabbed for Fina’s hand behind Vyse’s waist, using that familiar touch to ground herself. 

Kalifa just smiled. “Good.” She said, nodding again as her smile faded away. “Don’t let go of each other.” She set her pipe aside and clapped her hands together. “So. What brings you to Mistress Kalifa tonight, hm? Seeking further wisdom and guidance from the Moons themselves? Offer tribute for their wisdom, and Kalifa will reveal all!” 

Vyse chuckled, reaching for his coinpurse. “What do the Moons need with money?”

“Nothing. But I enjoy eating.” Kalifa retorted, earning an honest laugh out of him. Vyse set a handful of gold coins on the table, and Kalifa’s hand shot out and swept them up almost before he let go of them.

“Can you really hear the Moons?” Fina asked, reaching a hand across the table with her palm up. “Do they really speak to you, Kalifa?”

Kalifa was silent for a moment, then reached for Fina’s hand, holding it gently and tracing the lines in the young woman’s palm with a fingertip. “I get feelings.” Kalifa answered her, and the haughty and commanding presence in her voice was gone as she spoke then, as she reached for honesty in her response. “I have since I was little. Hunches, nudges. Tiny hints that might be as simple as a queasy stomach from nowhere, or a feeling of dread. We fortunetellers promise much, daughter of the Silver Moon. We must. But the things we feel, the things we hear...most are not ready for them. The ones we could help the most are the ones who are the most afraid to ask. And we can rarely ever help ourselves.”

It was a moment of pure honesty, and something in the thick air seemed to go still and then _thrum_ through Aika as she sat up and listened for it. Fina swallowed loudly and pulled her hand back, nodding ever so slightly.

Aika had felt something then, and she didn’t know how to describe it. Kalifa sat there, rocking back and forth for a few moments, then as if stirring awake again, she centered her gaze on Vyse.

“What guidance do you seek, Lord of Rogues?” Kalifa intoned lowly, and she reached for the octahedral translucent white glass sitting before her, with a small, tiny beating heart of red moonstone within it. “How may I guide you?”

Vyse stared at her. “I’m no Lord.” He told her. Kalifa just smiled, and Aika shivered again. Vyse sighed and waved a hand at the soothsayer. “All right. I’ll humor you. We’re leaving for Esperanza tomorrow, and the Dark Rift. Any advice?”

Kalifa touched the amalgam of cheap glass and semi-precious moonstone in front of her, and it lit up and rose into the air, spinning slowly at first, and then picking up speed. 

She reached her hands out towards that spinning surface, never touching it directly, but hovering her palms over the edges, and faint sparks of power arced between her and the stone, and she threw her head back and panted.

The heaviness in the still air of her hut increased further, and the already dim light seemed to fade further, until Aika could only see the shadows of light over Vyse’s face, and under Fina’s veil. 

“The Storm beckons. A fortress guards the way. Stand and face it, and it will break the spine.” Kalifa’s breathing came faster then. “Learn to...dance in the wind!” She screamed, and jerked back away from the stone, slumping in on herself and pressing her hands to her head. 

The heavy feeling in the air disappeared, and Kalifa let out a low groan as the lights came back up again. 

 

“I’m all right.” Kalifa breathed, not moving, barely breathing.

“You’re hurt.” Fina pointed out sympathetically. “Does that...does fortunetelling hurt you? Why do you do it then?”

Kalifa cracked a sick little laugh at the question. “Because I must.” She finally let go of her head and sighed, shaking it slowly. “Though usually, the Moons are kinder. You needed to hear that, Vyse of the Blue.”

“It’s just Vyse.” He insisted. “Only Vyse. Or Captain, if you prefer.”

Kalifa cracked another short laugh at that, still shaking her head. “We never see our own road.” She mumbled to herself, and sat up straighter at last. “Usually.”

Aika and Fina looked at each other as Kalifa finished coming back around, and then turned back when the Nasrian woman cleared her throat. “I will come with you.”

“Pardon?”

“Your ship. Your crew. When do you depart?” Kalifa rephrased.

“...Mid-morning. Tomorrow. But I didn’t ask you to come.” Vyse told her.

“Does the land ask for rain to fall on it? Does the desert ask the wind to blow across it?” Kalifa countered crisply. “There is no asking. There is only what must be.” She tapped the crystal again, and it settled back onto its base. Kalifa stared at him. “One shall stand. One shall fall.”

 

Vyse shut his eyes. “What could you do for my crew?”

“Entertain.” Kalifa smiled. “I would think there are many who might find a fortuneteller to be a source of endless amusement.”

“When you’re not passing on cryptic advice.”

“Not everyone understands what the Moons tell them.” Kalifa mused, grabbing her teacup. She held it up to her lips, but did not drink right away. In defiance of the enigmatic persona she presented, Kalifa reached for her thick glasses and lowered them, staring at the three of them over the rims with sad green eyes.  “Not right away. Will you understand, when the time comes?”

“If you help us.” Fina offered, shaken. Kalifa’s gaze swiveled over to the Silvite and, if anything, grew sadder for it. 

Then she slipped her glasses back on and stood. “I shall serve the Blue.” She told Vyse, bowing to him. “I will be at the docks at first light. Have a boat ready to take me to your ship, Captain Vyse.” Then she retreated into the back, past a curtain of beads over the doorway to her private quarters, and left Aika, Fina, and Vyse to sit and stare at each other in wonder and concern.

“Should we be worried about bringing her on board?” Aika asked them.

“She’s a headache waiting to happen.” Vyse muttered. “But only if you listen to her nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. She was right about us.” Fina insisted. “I think we’ll be glad to have her aboard. And besides, she is right about being useful. Right now, all we have is Merida for entertainment, and one dancer isn’t enough when that poor girl is also running shifts in the kitchen with Polly. We’ll be glad for the diversion, I think. Or our crew will be, anyways.”

Aika shrugged, not really seeing the point in arguing about it, while Vyse just sighed and surrendered to her opinion. He was a good captain; he knew what was worth fighting over and what wasn’t. 

“We’ll give her a chance.” He told Fina. “Like we did with Osman. Who knows? Maybe it’ll work out.”

Fina smiled at that. “And you wonder why people follow you.” She told him warmly. “Come on. The crew will likely stay onshore tonight. We need to decide where we’re going to put our new rug.”

They got up and headed for the door, and Aika’s hand came around Fina’s waist, holding her close while Vyse followed behind and chuckled.

“I’m sure you have all kinds of ideas.” Aika teased her.

 

Aika often marveled at the miracle her life had become, and who she was blessed enough to spend it with. She couldn’t wait to see what the rest of it would look like. Tomorrow morning, they would set sail for Esperanza and the Dark Rift. 

Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet Macguffins, that took a while, and yet I cannot find a reason to apologize for dividing the "Securing the crew of the Delphinus" arc of this into three parts. It allowed for a more comprehensive and detailed examination, and more importantly, for me to screw with the game's rather ridiculous setup in getting people to join on.
> 
> I believe I've warned you all that this isn't a Novelization, not really. These last three chapters should have convinced you that I was being completely honest in that. There is so much room to tell a richer, more comprehensive tale than the folks at Sega ever envisioned. But then...isn't that the whole point of Fanfiction? To tell the stories that fill in the gaps?


End file.
